One Step Away
by taitofan
Summary: One gunman, one robotic cat, thirty kisses. Kisses already shared: twenty-three.
1. Hey, You Know

One Step Away—Hey, You Know…

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: Yes, I joined the 30kisses challenge on LiveJournal. And I picked perhaps the oddest OTP I have. Hmmm, should prove to be amusing though. This is my first Final Fantasy fanfic of any kind, but I'm trying my best to keep people in character while still keeping it fluffy and light. Don't expect a ton of angst from Vincent. He is falling in love again after all. Oh yes, and I like the theory that Cait does things on his own with an advanced AI program (no matter what the games says so call these AU if you'd like), so I'm going with that. Title significance? Vincent and Cait are both one step away from being human, so there you go. Oh, and unless otherwise stated, all of these themes are unrelated. Other than that… Enjoy my crack-induced one true pairing:_smile_:

30kisses theme: #5-"Hey, you know…"

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 03-31-06

* * *

Vincent hadn't been devastated when Cloud had informed him who would be his partner for the latest split the team was taking. After all, it certainly could have been worse. It could have been Yuffie, who had the annoying habit of taking nonstop and shortening his name no matter how many times he glared at her. But still…

"Do you ever smile?"

…It certainly could have been better too.

Vincent pointedly ignored the robotic cat, opting instead to stare into the blazing fire, meant of course to keep them warm for the night. Cait _almost_ pointed out that it had, in fact, been he and his fire materia to start it in the first place but decided against it. He still wanted an answer after all.

"Well? Are you going to answer me or not?" The silence he received was a good indication to Vincent's reply. Cait wasn't about to give up though. His AI system had plenty of information about manipulating people, and he was quite confident that he could get the man's attention without being shot. He allowed his database to be scanned for anything that may help him and smirked as he picked up something that was, to put it lightly, very interesting.

Vincent was so engrossed with ignoring Cait that he didn't even notice when the cat jumped off his Mog and slinked over to him. In fact, Cait thought that the man must be getting rusty, because he wasn't even noticed until he had hopped into Vincent's lap and was merely inches away from his face. This, needless to say, forced Vincent finally to pay the cat a bit of attention.

"What do you want?" He expected Cait to repeat his question again, but was surprised when he was met with silence…

…And a soft feeling against his lips.

He normally would have batted the cat away, threatening to tear out his circuitry if he tried a stunt like that again, but the feeling of being kissed for the first time since he'd been a member of the Turks made him pause. Sure, Cait wasn't human, or even a cat, but his lips were surprisingly soft. Vincent figured it must be because of the plush material Reeve built him with and made a mental note to ask about it some other time. Right now, he had a kiss to return.

However, he never got his chance, as Cait pulled away just as Vincent was about to respond. Before the dark-haired man could say anything, whether it would be to yell at him or demand that he finish what he start, Cait had jumped off his lap and scampered back to his Mog. No words were spoken for quite a long time after that. It was probably for the best though. Vincent was much too busy wondering why in the world he'd actually been about to kiss the _male robotic cat_ back to talk. Cait watched him carefully all the while, the smirk from before back in place. Just as Vincent decided that he'd kill for some hard liquor at the moment, Cait determined that it was time for the silence to be broken.

"Hey, you know…" Vincent looked over to Cait, sitting proudly upon his Mog, and gave him a nod that clearly said, '_Go on_.' Cait felt his smirk widen a bit more before he continued. "I'm still not sure what you look like when you smile, but you're really cute when you're confused."

Vincent didn't say anything, but Cait hadn't expected him to. He turned back to the fire, his back to the cat. If Cait had been able to see though, he'd have noticed the small grin gracing the pale man's features. No doubt, Cait would have found it just as cute.


	2. Candy

One Step Away—Candy

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: The next in the series. More humor than the last one. And please don't think that I'm bashing Yuffie, because I'm not. I love Yuffie, as she's my third fave character after Cait and Vincent, but she just fits the part of annoying brat. I have something more flattering planned for her later… Anyways, more VincentxCait goodness from perhaps the only fan this couple has. :_heart_:

30kisses theme: #23-Candy

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 04-01-06

* * *

Vincent didn't know where Cait had gotten the candy, but he had a good feeling that either he'd stolen it, or he'd gotten Yuffie to steal it for him. Either way, bad intentions had gone into acquiring the sweets, and he wanted nothing to do with them…

But Cait was nothing if not persistent.

"Vincent!" The robotic cat whined, sounding just like a child who'd forgone their nap. "Here I am being nice and offering to share, and you won't trust me! That's very rude you know!"

"And it was rude of you to steal that candy," Vincent shot back, hoping to get the cat to leave him alone. He knew better than to think that it would work though.

"I didn't steal—"

"Then it was rude of you to have Yuffie steal it for you." The pale man decided that when Cait pouted like that, it was easy to forget that he wasn't human. Annoying little pest or not, he _was_ awfully cute… He quickly stopped those thoughts in their tracks. There was no time for that now.

"I'll have you know that Aerith bought this for me!" Vincent wasn't impressed though, and the pointed stare he gave the cat demanded answers. "Okay… She bought it for me as long as I promised to stop pulling Nanaki's tail. I can't help it if it's so tempting though, just swinging without a care in the world…"

"One would think that Reeve would have programmed more self-control into you…" Cait chose to ignore that and instead picked up a foil-wrapped chocolate kiss. He'd tried being nice, but if Vincent didn't want one… "Is that chocolate?" Cait smirked.

"Why yes, yes it is. But since you don't want any of _my_ candy…" He carefully unwrapped the chocolate and brought it up to his plush lips. The look on Vincent's face at that moment clearly conveyed that he wanted the candy, but that he wasn't about to beg for it like Cait obviously wanted. Mentally sighing, Cait placed the chocolate between his plush lips and pounced into Vincent's lap. Before Vincent could question the cat's intentions, Cait had brought their lips together in a passionate kiss.

Vincent automatically responded to the kiss, glad that he and his lover were alone. If anyone knew about their odd relationship, he'd never hear the end of it… But there was no time for such thoughts. Cait's small tongue, made of synthetic rubber meant to feel like that of a real cat, darted out and pushed the chocolate from his own mouth to Vincent's. As soon as it had been successfully transported, Cait pulled away and grinned up at Vincent.

"Do you like it?" Vincent let the chocolate kiss, ironically giving to him via a real kiss, melt in his mouth, filling his taste buds with its rich flavor.

"Yes, it's wonderful… But I thought you didn't want to share anymore?" Cait chuckled and grabbed another piece of candy before snuggling in the man's lap.

"Silly Vincent, I'm a robot. I don't even eat." He unwrapped the candy and noted that it was another chocolate kiss, white chocolate this time. "I just wanted an excuse to kiss you." With a smirk, he popped the candy in his mouth and leaned up, pressing their lips together yet again.

The pile of candy was quite large, but they were in no hurry… And as piece after piece disappeared, they decided that they'd definitely have to thank Aerith when they got the chance.


	3. Dash

One Step Away—Dash

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: This ended up a lot more melancholy than I'd originally planned. Oh well, some of these will be sweet, some will be sad, some will the funny… That's why I only have the category as romance. I have to keep things interesting after all. And yes, I know that Cait has been the focus of these so far, but Vincent will get his turn. I still have twenty-seven of these left after all. :_wink_:

30kisses theme: #9-Dash

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 04-01-06

* * *

It was raining.

And Cait hated the rain.

It wasn't because he was afraid that he'd short-circuit or anything, since Reeve had been sure to put an impermeable waterproof layer between his synthetic fur and his circuitry. He could fall into the ocean and still come out unscathed. No, it was for a much simpler reason that he loathed the rain…

It made his fur wet. And wet fur clung in strange ways, making him feel, well, like a wet cat. He refused to voice his concerns to his teammates though, for fear that they'd ridicule him, a mere robot, for caring what his fur looked like or how it felt. After all, it wasn't as if he could really _feel_ it or anything.

He sighed as he realized how little they truly knew. He'd never taken the time to explain about his AI system, or the hundreds of thousands of tiny sensors around his body that allowed him to feel things. When he got hurt during battle, he felt the pain just like any of they did. And when the sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze, he felt that too. But they didn't know that. And because of their ignorance, he was going to have to leave the shelter of the large cave they'd stayed overnight in and go into the cold rain. And get wet.

Oh, how Cait hated the rain.

"Are you alright Cait?" The question was spoken just loud enough for him, with his enhanced sense of sound, to hear. Cait looked up at the voice and smiled wearily. Okay, so he'd taken the time to explain things to _one_ of his teammates, but their situation was a tad bit different…

"I'm fine Vincent. Nothing to worry about…" The gunman didn't believe that for a second though. He sat down next to the cat, glad that everyone else was too busy fighting over the day's plans to notice they'd gone off, let alone to pay them any attention.

"You know, your artificial intelligence doesn't make you a good liar. Perhaps you should ask Reeve to fix that once you see him again." Cait appreciated Vincent's sense of humor, really he did. And he didn't mind the man mentioning the fact that he was a robot either. He'd come to accept that fact a long time ago, and he wasn't about to start mourning his fate now. But still…

"I wish I could tell them." Vincent visible paled, which was hard considering how light his skin was to begin with. Cait immediately noticed this and elaborated. "Not about that. I mean about me. You know, what makes me tick. I think a lot of them still think that Reeve controls every move I make, knows everything I do… I guess I should like that though, huh? Makes what I did at the temple seem more like his fault than mine, as selfish as that sounds. Guess I'm just a selfish guy. But I still wonder what they'd think if they knew that I choose to send the information to Reeve; that he only knows what's going on when I want him to. I want to tell them but…"

Vincent didn't say anything as Cait trailed off. He understood all to well how hard it was to want to tell your friends the truth, only to find that you just _couldn't_. But he knew that whatever Cait decided, it had to be his decision. They stayed silent for a few minutes, the only sounds being their bickering teammates and the heavy rain.

"And I really hate the rain." Vincent nodded, not fazed by the seemingly random change of subject.

"That makes sense. You are a cat after all." Cait could have said how much he appreciated that, but he knew that Vincent realized it already. He was just like that. So instead, he just smiled and kept his gaze out towards the rain.

"Indeed."

The comfortable silence was back. It was all right though, since Vincent wasn't much for talking in the first place and Cait didn't feel like saying anything anyway. Cait was surprised, however, when Vincent leaned over and placed a soft kiss right below his ear. If he'd had the capability to blush, he knew that his face would be bright red. He'd have to thank Reeve later for leaving that ability out.

"…Aren't you afraid that someone will see?" Vincent shook his head slightly, reaching up and brushing his human hand gently against his beloved's soft face.

"Not particularly." Cait opened his mouth, though he wasn't even sure what he wanted to say, only to be cut off by a hyperactive voice.

"Hey guys! Quit your moping over there and get ready to run!" Yuffie ran over to them as the other stood up and added softly, "And you might want to be careful who you do that mushy stuff in front of. _I_ think it's adorable, but I doubt everyone would feel that way." Ignoring their surprised looks at being caught, she gave them a wink and bounded to the front of the cave, inside it just enough to stay dry.

Somehow, the thought of Yuffie being the only one to know their secret was both scary and comforting all at the same time.

"She's right," Cloud announced, not looking happy about having to run through the rain and have to fight in it along the way. "The weather might be bad, but we can't waste anymore time here. Will you be okay Cait?" Cait was only mildly surprised to hear their leader's concern. He was still getting used to them even knowing that he was a robot, let alone having them forgive him.

"Of course I'll be fine!" He announced with a laugh, his usual demeanor taking over. "Nothing can stop the great Cait Sith!" His confident tone put them at ease, all with the exception of the resident gunman. It seemed that Cait wasn't quite ready to tell the truth yet. That was fine though; there was no hurry.

"Good, then let's get this over with." Everyone nodded and gathered around the entrance, ready to dash out into the chilly rain. Cait tried his best not to think about it. It wouldn't be that long before they'd find a town and a nice cozy inn. …As long as there weren't any monsters to delay them… Although the monsters were probably smart enough not to be out in such weather.

"Ready and… Go!" The rag-tag group dashed out, hoping that wherever they were headed, it'd have shelter. Cait tried to shrink down into his Mog as it carried him, though it was to no avail. He was going to be soaked by the time they reached a town, he just knew it…

So why wasn't he wet yet?

A quick glance up showed that Vincent was holding back to go the same speed as the Mog, his metal claw holding his cape over Cait as they ran so the robotic cat would stay dry. He felt what would be the equivalent to his heart speeding up at the sweet gesture, amazed that someone could care so much about his feelings. Though if there was anyone who could understand how different he felt, Vincent was certainly it.

He smiled brightly, making a mental note to thank Vincent properly once they were alone. Even if no one in the universe could ever understand how he felt, having the pale man around would be good enough for him. After all, what better way to show your love than to dash through the rain with them?

And if anyone other than Yuffie, who of course noticed the subtle display of affection and found it adorable, saw the seemingly odd behavior the two were showing that day, they didn't mention it. Some things were just better left unsaid.


	4. Say Ahh

One Step Away—Say Ahh…

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: Ah huh, so here's one based more on Vincent than Cait, because we need to know what the pretty gunman thinks too. I tried to keep him as in character as possible considering the subject. There will be plenty of time for fluffy OOCness later. I'm not sure how to classify this one either, as it seems to jump from angst to comedy to romance and back again at various points. And I know the subject seems farfetched, but just go with me, okay? Oh well, enjoy anyways!

30kisses theme: #18-"Say ahh…"

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 04-01-06

* * *

Vincent might not have been completely human, what with the ability to change into demons and his inability to age, but that didn't mean that he was entirely immune from humane conditions. For example, he was still able to bleed, cry, blush—not that he did those last two mind you—and apparently, catch a cold.

It wasn't anything major, but he still didn't want to slow the group down. So while they went to check out a remote mountain for answers, he opted to stay in town so that he'd be fully recovered once they got back. They felt that this was a good idea, since in the long run it'd be better to have him miss out just this once then risk him overexerting himself and dying. And they had a good feeling, rightfully so, that he'd do just that. There was, however, one person who had a problem with Vincent staying by himself…

…Or rather, one robotic cat.

Cait had argued that if Vincent was all alone, then he'd have to take care of himself. And since that negated the purpose of him resting, it was only logical that one of them stay with the ill man. And since he had a built-in library of medical knowledge, he'd take the noble task of staying behind. The others, thinking that this was just an excuse so that Cait could get out of fighting but knowing that he had a point, agreed.

Vincent had no say in the matter, or he'd certainly have protested.

"Say ahh…" Vincent gave Cait his best glare, but the fact that he could barely raise his head off the pillow probably took away from its normal menacing feel. Cait, sitting on his Mog next to the bed, just glared back. "I said, say ahh!"

"It is merely a cold," Vincent murmured, refusing to allow the thermometer into his mouth. "There is no need for you to—" Cait, fed up with the way Vincent had been treating him since the others had left them in the inn the day before, shoved it into his mouth regardless.

"You keep saying that, and yet you've just gotten worse since yesterday. You can't even get out of bed anymore! Now leave that in your mouth until I tell you to take it out or I'll tie you down and have my way with you regardless!" Vincent felt his face flush at the suggestive threat but chalked it up to his illness. After all, this was _Cait Sith_, not Lucrecia's reincarnation… He decided not to tempt the irate cat though and allowed the thermometer to stay in place until time was up and Cait removed it.

"Vincent! You have a temperature of one hundred and two! No wonder you can't move! I need to go get some medicine…" Before he could rush out of the room, Vincent's hand shot out and grabbed a hold of his arm. Cait was glad it was his human hand, as the metal one probably would have crushed his mechanical arm with the force the man was using. "Vincent, let me go—"

"No," Vincent insisted, using all of his remaining strength to keep Cait where he was. "Don't leave." Cait felt his breath hitch.

"…Why?" Vincent sighed, closing his eyes and slowly letting his grip loosen.

"You should just let me die." Cait didn't know what to say at first. That wasn't _quite_ what he was expecting… Wasn't even close in fact. And that upset him on many levels.

"Die! You want me to let you _die?_ Are you insane! You get me all hopeful that you'll finally tell me what I want to hear and all you give me is your typical pity party? Vincent Valentine, you are extremely selfish!" And with that, Cait stormed out of the room as best he could on a giant Mog. Vincent felt his head spin, a result of the fever and Cait's confusing words. What he'd wanted to hear? What did _that_ mean?

Not able to deal with all of the pressures of being conscious anymore, he quickly fell asleep. The last thing he wondered before he drifted off was if Cait would even bother to come back.

* * *

When Vincent finally awoke, he immediately noticed three things. One, it must be morning because the sun was out. Two, he felt much better than he had before he fell asleep, to the point that he thought his fever must be gone. And three, Cait was sitting where he'd been before he'd run out, looking more concerned than Vincent could ever remember seeing him.

"Oh Vincent, you're all right! I was so worried…" His delighted expression suddenly darkened. "That doesn't mean that I've forgiven you though. Just what do you think dying will accomplish?" Vincent almost didn't answer, as he was wrapped up in question after question, each one coming back to Cait.

"…Atonement," he finally replied, causing Cait to glare at him. Vincent didn't have the heart to tell him that his squinted eyes stopped him from looking in the least bit intimidating.

"I'd tell you to give up on that woman, but I know it won't matter. I highly doubt that she'd want you to die for her sake though." He allowed Vincent to say something in his defense but was only met with silence. Thus, he continued. "What does _she_ have that _I_ don't?" That got Vincent's attention.

"Excuse me?" Cait crossed his arms, a pout forming on his feline face.

"You heard me. What was so special about her? What did she have that I, the great Cait Sith, fortune teller extraordinaire, don't have?" Vincent almost expected Cait to yell out, '_Just kidding!_' but no such luck. He was serious, and Vincent didn't know what to say. There were many ways that Lucrecia and Cait differed, the biggest obviously being that the former was a female human, and the latter was a male robotic cat. Even their demeanors were completely opposite each other. Lucrecia had been quiet, kind, and patient, whereas Cait was loud, obnoxious, and selfish. But still…

He hadn't been that selfish when he'd stayed behind to help Vincent, or when he'd rushed out to get medicine. That was a kind gesture indeed. And he'd been quiet since they'd been left alone with the exception of a few outbursts. Sure, he could get on Vincent's last nerve with little or no effort, but who didn't those days? Perhaps he had the cat pegged all wrong. He supposed that he could at least hear Cait out…

"Tell me," the gunman eventually said, specifically ignoring the previous questions, "how long have I been asleep for?" Cait didn't look pleased at the change of subject, but he answered regardless.

"If you fell asleep right after I left, then it's been over half a day. It's almost noontime now. I can get you some food if you'd like." Vincent pulled himself up so that he was leaning against the headboard and shook his head.

"That won't be necessary at the moment. I have something else I would like to ask you." Cait nodded, concern that Vincent would tire himself out again evident on his face. Sometimes it was hard to remember that Cait wasn't a human himself.

"Go on." Vincent wondered how he could phrase his question without seeming too upfront… Then decided that with someone like Cait, it was best to be frank.

"Are you in love with me?" He'd been expecting either a denial or a confession, so when Cait merely smirked and hopped from his Mog to the bed, he'd admit to being more than a bit surprised.

"I think," Cait whispered, bringing his face ever so close to Vincent's, "that you already know the answer to that. Now, say ahh…" And with that, Cait's lips were on Vincent's. It'd certainly been a long time since he'd last kissed anyone, but he quickly got back into the swing of things and moved his lips hungrily, surprisingly finding the thought of kissing Cait to be exciting. For a moment he almost pulled away; he was still ill after all, even if his enhanced system mixed with whatever medicine he'd received the night before had more or less cured him. But then he remembered that Cait was a robot, and thus, he couldn't get sick in the first place. In fact, as a robot, he'd probably downloaded kissing techniques, as Vincent was sure the cat had never had first hand experience before. This led him to wonder what_ else_ he knew…

And as Cait showed him _exactly_ all the things he'd learned, Vincent couldn't help but retract his earlier desire that he'd been left alone. The next time he got sick, he was making sure that Cait stayed with him. In fact, maybe he'd be sick again _next_ month…


	5. Good Night

One Step Away—Good Night

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: Enough angst for a while, right? Let's get something a bit more humorous… And luckily, Cait is quite good at that. Now, as for these fics… Let me assure everyone that these are not jokes. This truly is my favorite couple in the fandom. And also, these are being posted mere minutes after the 30kisses community gets them, so you're not missing out. Potential major OOCness depending on how bold you think these guys are, but nothing too earth shattering. And this is the first one to get a sequel too. Look for it next!

30kisses theme: #24-Good night

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 04-03-06

* * *

The moon was bright and the stars were twinkling, and no matter how hard you looked, there wasn't a single cloud to block the gorgeous view. In short, it was a very romantic night; the kind where you could just cuddle up to your lover and gaze up at the heavens without a care in the world… Unfortunately for the motley group, the world was in danger of being destroyed, so there wasn't much time for romance. In fact, they were only now stopping for the night because eighty-nine percent of the group was ready to pass out from the sheer exhaustion traveling and fighting monsters all day brought. And the remaining eleven percent was a robotic cat, who was just plain sick of the daily routine.

Therefore, they'd stopped in the safest place they could find, considering the nearest town was still half a day's walk away. It was all right though, since it really was the perfect night. And a world to save or not, the romantic atmosphere the millions of stars gave off wasn't completely lost on everybody…

Everyone was finally getting situated for some well-deserved sleep when Cait had an epiphany. All day long, he'd been ignored by a certain someone. He and that someone might not have been that close, as far as the others were concerned at least, but normally he'd a least get a glance or a smile, or _something_. But no, even Cait's "_Thanks for saving me_," after a particularly hard battle had gone completely ignored. This was _not_ acceptable. And he had an idea to get the attention he craved…

'_No one crosses the great Cait Sith and gets away with it, not even **you** lover boy…_'

"Vincent!" The cat's call was loud enough for everyone to hear, causing eight heads to turn to him simultaneously. The man in question raised an eyebrow, wondering what in the world he could possibly want.

"Yes, Cait Sith?" Cait frowned at the formal use of his full name. The only time the "Sith" followed was in front of their teammates. Well, quite frankly, he was sick of it. He'd had enough deception to last a lifetime thank you very much. They were coming out of the closet one way or another that night, whether the gunman wanted to or not.

The curious glances the two received only made him want to make this torture as sweet as possible even more.

"You know, it might get kinda cold tonight. Can you come over here and keep me warm?" If Cait's eyes could open, Vincent was sure they'd be shining with that '_Do whatever I say because I'm cute_' look. He wasn't sure what his secret lover was up too, and he didn't think that he wanted to know. Cait's scheming rarely was a good thing.

"Your programming will increase your internal temperature should the need arise." Cait crossed his arms and pouted. That was cold, even for Vincent. But he wasn't done yet.

"Then why don't you just come keep me company? I'll be so _lonely_ all by myself…" Vincent would have groaned, had it not have been completely out of character for him. He had a good feeling as to what Cait's game was, and he really didn't want to deal with this at the moment…

"You have your Mog for company, which you shouldn't even need if you sleep—"

"Ah, but I don't sleep!" Cait interrupted, a smirk adorning his face. Vincent was unfazed and continued on as if nothing had happened.

"—and if you decide not to power down for the night, I won't have you bother me while I try to sleep." With that, he abruptly sat down, leaned against a tree, and closed his eyes. Cait's smirk disappeared and was replaced with a downfallen look. His plan had backfired, and now Vincent was mad at him for trying to out him.

'_I deserve it… Maybe I'll just power down and not bother to turn myself back on…_' Of course, Vincent had been entrusted with his override commands, but he honestly didn't know if the man would even want him back…

Vincent knew he was being harsh. He'd ignored Cait all day because Yuffie was giving them looks that he didn't like one little bit. If she suspected something, it would be best for them to keep as much distance between themselves as they possibly could. But Cait obviously hadn't felt the same way, leading to his "revenge." And now he felt horrible… Cait was just being himself; could Vincent blame him for that?

He cracked open an eye and saw Cait, slumped on top of his Mog, looking miserable. He let the slightest of sighs escape his lips. Of course he couldn't blame Cait; he loved the little twit, like it or not. And if that was what Cait wanted, than dammit, that was what Vincent would give him. He'd let his love life slip through his fingers once, and there was no way in the seven depths of hell he was letting it happen again.

Cait was two seconds away from powering down when he felt a body sit down next to him. Curiosity being his nature, he turned and was amazed to see his lover looking at him intently. He was afraid for a moment; Vincent wasn't going to tear him apart with that claw of his, was he? No, he wouldn't do that, no matter how upset he got. But, then why was he…?

His questions were all answered when he felt a pair of lips upon his own. He squeaked at the sudden public display of affection, the movement allowing Vincent's tongue to seek out his own synthetic one. They kissed fervidly for a few moments before the gunman pulled away. Cait could only stare, utterly dazed, at the handsome man smirking before him.

"I just thought that you would like a good night kiss before we went to sleep. Was that sufficient?" Cait got his wits back together and nodded, a smile back on his lips.

"Why, I believe that was the best good night kiss you've ever given me. May I have another tomorrow night?" Vincent chucked and pulled Cait from his Mog and into his lap.

"Whatever you wish my love. Good night Cait." The robotic cat snuggled into his embrace and sighed contently.

"Night Vincent."

As Vincent fell asleep and Cait went into standby mode, seven other forgotten beings watched with open jaws and wide eyes. That entire scene was possibly the most unexpected thing any of them had ever seen. The thought of _Vincent Valentine_ and _Cait Sith_ together was simply mind boggling…

Well, for most of them at least.

"I told you," Yuffie giggled, poking Cloud's side. "Now you owe me a new materia when we get to town." Cloud sighed and mourned the loss of his gil to the bratty ninja. He could have sworn Vincent wanted Cid, not Cait…

That was the last time he ever made a bet on his friend's love lives.


	6. In a Good Mood

One Step Away—In a Good Mood

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi, crossbreeding, and implied sexual content

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: OOCness abound! This one might be pushing R, but I'm gonna stick with a strong PG-13. Let's just say that though nothing happens, the squeamish might want to be careful. In fact, anyone on pins and needles about this couple might want to watch out. This one happens some time after "Good Night," since the crew knows about Vincent and Cait. Other than that, the time it takes place is up to you. I actually managed to give everyone a speaking part this time, so I hope I didn't screw up anyone too badly. For some reason, I just can't get the idea that Yuffie would be extremely supportive out of my head… And please don't think I'm bashing anyone, because I like all of the main cast. They're all too cool for their own goods.

30kisses theme: #12-In a good mood

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 04-03-06

* * *

When Vincent Valentine smiled, you knew something drastic had happened.

Especially a real smile. They occasionally saw a smirk after they brought down an enemy, or an angst-ridden twitch of the lips, but a full-blown grin? That was something they'd never seen and never thought they _would_ see. …It was kind of disturbing.

"Maybe he thought up a way to kill Hojo, slowly and painfully," Cloud suggested. Tifa shook her head decidedly.

"No, he'd still mope about that, no matter how much he wants to do it. Maybe he's possessed." There were many nods to that.

"Makes sense," Cid agreed. "He's too fucking happy to be in his right state of mind." The only one who didn't seem impressed with either view was Yuffie.

"Nah, you're all wrong. I bet he got laid."

The silence that followed was deafening, until…

"_What_!" Six voices yelled at the same time, making the ninja wince at the sheer volume.

"Keep it down! You want him to hear us?" Although no one knew where he was at the moment, and he could very well be within hearing distance, no one seemed to care.

"But Yuffie," Aerith tried to reason with her, "Vincent seems devoted to Cait Sith. He doesn't seem like the type to be unfaithful." Yuffie just smirked.

"Who said anything about him cheating?" The mental images some of the got at the thought of Vincent and Cait doing _those_ things made them shiver.

"What the hell you talkin' 'bout?" Barret thundered. "They can't— Well, you know." She rolled her eyes. And to think _she_ was the youngest one here…

"Have sex. And sure they can. Cait has a tongue, a mouth, fingers, and a tail. That'd be sufficient for old Vince's pleasure." The looks she was receiving made her feel like she'd sprouted another head, a really nasty looking one at that.

"…And how exactly do you know the mechanics of gay sex?" She scoffed at Cloud's question, waving her hand in a dismissive manner.

"I'm sure you don't wanna know, so let's leave it at that. The point is, he's in a good mood because Cait went down on him. End of story."

As the inevitable argument about Vincent and Cait's sex life, or lack thereof as most of them believed, began, no one noticed as two figures approached them…

"What are you all yelling about? You're giving me a headache!" The deadly silence once again prevailed. The seven Avalanche members slowly turned around, various degrees of embarrassment on their faces. They certainly hoped they hadn't been heard…

"We noticed you smiling quite a bit today Vincent," Nanaki spoke up when it seemed that no one, not even Yuffie, was going to answer Cait. "We were just trying to figure out why." Cait's insane laughter shocked them all.

"Maybe you should listen to Yuffie for once then!" The embarrassment suddenly morphed into mortification.

"Y-you heard us?" Tifa stuttered, her face as bright red as a tomato. The amused look Vincent and Cait shared was more than enough of an answer.

"So then I was right?" Yuffie questioned eagerly.

"Yes," Vincent finally spoke up, that same grin from earlier in the day still in place, "my good mood is indeed because of Cait's skillful tongue. Very perceptive of you." She giggled then, both at the unexpected compliment and at the fact that the older males in the group looked ill. Tifa was very apparently confused, Aerith smiled in her normal happy manner, and Cloud just sighed.

"That's… great you two, just don't stay up all night doing those things. We don't need you tired when we're fighting." Barret and Cid's faces grew a bit greener with each passing moment.

"No problem," Vincent replied smoothly, leaning down and kissing Cait on the cheek, simply because he knew that it would upset two certain someones. And he wasn't disappointed.

"Yeah, we'll just have our fun when we stop during the day instead!" Barret promptly fainted, leaving Cait laughing and Vincent chuckling as they went off for some privacy.

"Why me?" Cid muttered, reaching for a cigarette. Nanaki was too shocked to say anything, as was Tifa.

"Well," Yuffie giggled cheerfully, still pleased with herself, "that was interesting."

"Yes," Aerith agreed with a smile, "no one can say that saving the planet is boring."

Cloud shook his head as he attempted to wake up Barret. The next time Vincent was in a good mood, he hoped everyone would just keep their big mouths shut…


	7. Fence

One Step Away—Fence

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: Ah, back to sanity… Somewhat at least. This one isn't related to anything else, unlike the last two themes. Um… There isn't much to say. I have some future themes planned that involve some other characters, including Reeve, in case anyone's curious. Some angsty ones, as well as more sap and humor. I can't let my favorite characters be sad, now can I?

30kisses theme: #25-Fence

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 04-05-06

* * *

Avalanche was going to do it! It was a beautiful day, there were no monsters around, and spirits were high. They were on their way to take Sephiroth down, and nothing was going to stop them! Not even the large fence they came across and swiftly hopped over. Nope, nothing could stand in their way…

Well, for most of them at least. Cait, however, was having a few technical difficulties.

"Hey, wait you guys!" he yelled to them. "I can't get over!" The rest of the group stopped and turned around, some more reluctantly than others, and saw that the cat was right. The fence was much too high for his Mog to get over. They'd have to stop and help…

"Go on," Vincent spoke up, surprising them. "There's no need for all of us to be delayed. Cait Sith and I will catch up." This apparent spur of the moment desire of his to help confused most of them, but no one questioned it. He _did_ have a point. And thus, they were off again, determined to let nothing stop in their way!

Once they were out of sight, Vincent let a smirk grace his features and sauntered back to the fence, leaning on it casually. Cait frowned at his expression. As much as he appreciated being the only one to get to see the gunman like this, that smirk never meant anything good…

"You're stuck." If Cait had been able to, he'd have rolled his eyes at that smug tone.

"How observant of you Vince," he replied, his voice laced with obvious sarcasm. "I suppose next you'll be informing me that Cloud's hair is spiky, or that Cid smokes too much, or that you're not nearly as quiet as everyone thinks you are." Vincent didn't let his irritated companion bother him. He was having much too fun at the moment.

"You need my help." Cait sighed, already exasperated with the entire situation.

"Well, it's too late to call someone nice like Aerith back, so I suppose that you'll have to do." Vincent chuckled, but didn't move a muscle.

"I believe you're just upset because you're helpless. If I don't help you, you'd have to leave your Mog, and then you couldn't fight. And to think the great Cait Sith was brought down by a fence… A lot of good your dice are now." Cait's frown turned into a scowl, especially since he knew the gunman was right.

"I could always chuck 'em at your head. That might make me feel better." The dark-haired man laughed and kissed Cait's cheek.

"You know you love me." The robotic cat didn't look impressed.

"You certainly seem confident about that, don't you?" Vincent nodded and kissed him again, this time on the nose.

"Come now Cait, I was only teasing you. You're just so adorable when you're angry…" Cait wanted to stay mad, really he did. But all of those kisses Vincent was placing over his body were rather distracting…

"Oh, Vince… Come on, we gotta catch up— Ah! Vince!" Perhaps Cait didn't have flesh, but he had enough sensors over his body to make him just as sensitive as any human. And Vincent _did_ love watching him squirm… But Cait was right. If they didn't get going soon, someone would probably come looking for them… And with their luck, it'd be Yuffie. He did _not_ want the sneaky ninja to see them like this.

"All right, you win." Cait's internal circuits were going crazy from the overload of sensations, but he managed to compose himself enough to jump on Vincent's shoulder while the gunman pulled the Mog over the fence. Soon, it was on the ground and ready to be boarded. Unfortunately for Vincent, Cait seemed perfectly content to sit on his shoulder.

"Ah, look at the view! And it's so comfy too!" His enthusiasm earned him an amused sigh.

"You wanted your Mog over the fence, and now that it is you want to leave it?"

"No silly," Cait laughed, all previous irritation forgotten, "we'll just have it walk on it own for a while. Reeve put a lesser AI system in it for my battles. We're connected, so it'll move just by my will." Vincent was honestly surprised by this, though he knew he shouldn't be. He'd never bothered to ask how it moved after all…

"All right, but only for a short while. When we get closer, you'll need to go back. Deal?" Cait smiled and made himself at home on his lover's shoulder.

"Deal."

And then they were off, slowly making their way back to the group. Needless to say, neither was in much of a hurry…

And they both hoped there'd be more fences in their future.


	8. Superstar

One Step Away—Superstar

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: Ah, pure humor. Cait makes it rather easy to allow that. Anyways, please remember that these, unless otherwise noted, are completely unrelated. This, for example, is the first one that takes place after Aerith's death. Other than that, you can stick it whenever you think it could potentially happen. ...Ah, something angsty will be next I think. So enjoy the fluff while you can, okay?

30kisses theme: #7-Superstar

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 04-09-06

* * *

"I wanna be a star!" 

That random proclamation probably would have surprised Vincent had it not been for the fact that Cait was a random person. Cat. Robot. …Whatever. The point was, Vincent had gotten used to Cait's out-of-the-blue comments quite quickly. And there was no way it could get worse than the time he'd asked Vincent what kind of underwear he wore, in front of Tifa no less. But right now they were alone, so if it turned out that Cait wanted to be something ridiculous like a porn star, no one would ever have to know the conversation had happened in the first place.

"I'm sure that if Cid ever gets a rocket going he'd be more than happy to give you a one way ticket to space." The robotic cat usually would have appreciated the normally quiet man's humor, but he was being serious dammit!

"I'm serious Vince! I wanna be a star! A superstar!" The gunman didn't even bother to tell Cait not to call him Vince anymore. For if he did, Cait would resort to silly pet names like "muffin" or "pookie." And Vince was better than pookie any day.

"What kind of superstar?" His internal mantra had become '_Don't say porn, don't say porn…_' Cait was oblivious to his lover's worries and clasped his gloved paws together in joy.

"I'm going to be the greatest fortune teller there ever was! People will come from all over the planet to have me read their fortunes! Oh, but I'll need a gimmick… Hmm… Maybe you could dress up in a skimpy bunny costume and be my personal assistant…"

Vincent almost chose not to comment at all, as Cait certainly didn't need any encouraging. But he'd just pester the gunman until he said something, he knew it. Then he almost pointed out that he'd only had _one_ correct prediction in his entire life, and it had been about Aerith's death, not to mention it had been made in a different body than the one he had now. But that was too morbid for the light conversation. No, he had to find the right thing to say…

"You don't need to be a star." For not having any eyebrows, Cait sure did a good impression of raising one.

"Oh, and why not?" Vincent ran the back of his human hand down Cait's face, smiling softly at him.

"Because then I'd have to share you with all your fans. And I don't like to share what's _mine_." The possessive tone in Vincent's voice made the cat shiver. He supposed that he didn't have to be a world-famous star as long as he had Vincent…

…Who was planting tiny kisses wherever he could reach.

Yes, being a star could definitely wait. For now, he had other, very important, business to attend to.


	9. Jolt

One Step Away—Jolt!

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: …Okay, so this isn't that angst I'd mentioned. It's something that I can't even begin to explain. Honestly, I have no idea where this came from… It's strange, really strange. The concept certainly will only be used in this theme. Oh, the things I come up with at one in the morning… Well, this was my first time writing Lucrecia and Reeve, so hopefully they're okay. And Cait's first words to Vincent? Those came right out of the game. So Square-Enix made that line, not me. Some angst will be next I think, so stay tuned!

30kisses theme: #3-Jolt!

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 04-11-06

* * *

Vincent sighed for what must have been the millionth time that day. He was so incredibly bored that it wasn't in the least bit funny. Sure, being a Turk was usually exciting, but when there was nothing to shoot, the boredom came fast. And seeing as he currently didn't have an assignment… He was forced to doodle.

Not that he realized what he was doing though. No, in his boredom he'd picked up a pen and started absently moving it across the back of a random piece of paper, all the while wondering what he could possibly do to alleviate this horrid feeling. Perhaps a riot would break out somewhere…

"Oh, that's so cute!" Vincent jolted up, startled, and more than a bit upset that he'd let himself be taken off-guard. He was a Turk dammit; he shouldn't be so jumpy… Even if the most beautiful woman he'd ever met was leaning over his shoulder. "Vincent, I didn't know you were an artist!"

"Lucrecia…" He forced himself to look away from her smiling face and see what in the world she was gushing about. A quick glace down didn't find anything of interest. A few random squiggles, a miniature gun, a man with glasses and a noose around his neck who looked remarkably like Hojo, and…

Oh. That.

Smack dab in the middle of the page was a drawing that he'd never live down if anyone other than Lucrecia were to see it. A cat, standing on two legs, grinned proudly. He, as Vincent could only assume he'd draw a male by its features, had a cape, boots, gloves, a crown… All in all, he looked much like Puss-in-Boots, a story he'd always enjoyed as a child. He supposed that his boredom had allowed his inner child to show its creativity…

"You can't tell anyone about this." Lucrecia looked surprised at the slight note of panic in his voice as he shoved the paper in his desk. She'd never seen him so flustered before…

"Are you all right? You seem nervous… It really was cute, if that's what you're worried about…" He shook his head, quickly trying to come up with a way to change the subject.

"Oh, no, it's nothing. Being cooped up in here is just driving me a bit crazy, that's all. Now, did you need something?" She knew that he wasn't telling the whole truth, but she didn't push it.

"Oh yes, I wanted to know if you wanted to get something to eat. It's lunchtime after all." He instantly brightened at the invitation, until he realized something…

"Will Hojo be accompanying us?" She shook her head, sighing sadly.

"No, I'm afraid not. He has a lot to do, something about a big surprise project…" Resisting the urge to jump for joy, he calmly stood up and offered her his arm.

"Well then, shall we go?" She giggled at his gentlemanly theatrics, talking the offered arm and nodding happily.

"We shall." All thoughts of the cat drawing left Vincent's mind as he headed to lunch with the girl of his dreams.

* * *

Reeve Tuesti looked around the large room appreciatively. He'd just been promoted to Head of Urban Development, and that meant he got a bigger office. Unfortunately, it seemed like it hadn't been used in a very long time…

It didn't really bother him though. He'd heard from his friend Tseng that the office he was getting had once belonged to a Turk who had ended up on the wrong side of Hojo's experiments and was now supposedly dead. Reeve couldn't help but pity whoever he'd been. Hojo was a creepy man. Anyone who went through that lunatic's torture was already a hero in his book.

Whatever had happened to him, no one had ever bothered to clean out his office. There was even still an old coffee cup on the desk, which Reeve was sure had been home to many different insects over the years. It looked like moving his things in would have to wait until the old stuff was gone…

He first decided to clean out the large desk. Maybe there would be something of interest in there… He bent down and cautiously pulled at one of the drawer handles, hoping that no small creatures were living in there. He didn't have to worry though, as it seemed all those years of being shut had made the drawer stick. When a few more jolts proved to be inefficient, he sighed and steadied himself, putting all of his strength into one strong tug.

…Which didn't work.

Slipping to the floor, his grip still on the handle, he wondered if he'd have to take the old desk apart… When his fingers hit a button. Blinking, he pressed it in and pulled, and sure enough, the drawer easily slipped open. Oh, was he ever glad that no one had witnessed that…

He busied himself with pawing through the contents, noting things that looked interesting enough to keep and what he'd have to throw away. And now that he knew the secret to opening the drawers, he went though them all, amazed by all of the things the mysterious ex-Turk had managed to fit in there.

He finally opened the very last compartment, his eyes immediately landing on what looked like a business report. It was addressed to a Vincent Valentine, who Reeve assumed must have been the man Tseng had been referring to. Well, the man had a name now at least. Not worrying about it, he almost tossed the paper into the trash bin, but curiosity took over and he found himself instead turning the paper over.

A few random squiggles, a miniature gun, a man with glasses and a noose around his neck who looked remarkably like Hojo, and… A cat. A rather cute looking one at that. It seemed odd that a Turk would have drawn something like that. Perhaps that was why it had been kept safely in the drawer… Regardless, something about the cat drew him in. It reminded him of the legendary king of cats he'd read about as a child, what with the crown and all.

…He'd always been interested in robotics. And now that he was an executive, he'd have the money to acquire the advanced AI technology he'd dreamed about…

And just like that, it was settled. Whatever Mr. Valentine's intentions had been, no matter if he'd never get to see it, Reeve was going to use his drawing as the basis for his robot. And he had just the name too…

* * *

"Aren't you glad you woke up?"

That was the first thing the strange cat said to Vincent after Cloud woke him up for the first time in almost thirty years. It had been strange enough to be jolted awake after all that time in a coffin to see a spacey blond guy and a wannabe ninja girl, both with weapons larger than most dogs, but seeing _him_…

It came back immediately to him. That day when Lucrecia saw his drawing. The cat sitting on—well, Vincent wasn't sure what it was to be honest—that thing looked like it had jumped right off the paper. Had someone seen his picture or was it just a coincidence? The former option was certainly plausible. After all, his desk would have eventually had to be cleaned out and then anyone who was stuck with the task would have seen it. Whatever the case was, Vincent automatically knew that was no cat. Magic or robotic, he wasn't sure, but certainly not just a miracle cat who somehow managed to walk and talk.

So later on that night after they'd left the mansion and he'd been introduced—

"Hey there, I'm Cait Sith, fortune teller extraordinaire! Pleased to meet you! Don't mind her; Yuffie's just a little paranoid. She'll figure out you're not a vampire soon enough."

—Vincent just smiled ever so slightly. Cait Sith, the king of cats…

"Hello Cait Sith. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

The cat's confused look had been worth having Lucrecia find his picture in the first place.

* * *

"Vince, can I ask you a question?" Vincent wasn't childish enough to say '_You already did_,' so he merely nodded at the cat in his lap.

"Go ahead Cait. I can't promise I'll answer though." Cait understood, knowing full well that he might not get an answer.

"Why do you love me?" Cait wasn't being insecure, Vincent knew that. His programming made him curious, and this wasn't the sort of thing he had in his database. His AI was constantly evolving, just as Reeve had intended. But how to answer his seemingly simple question?

Though Reeve had realized who Vincent was once they'd finally met, the gunman had made him promise never to tell Cait where his design had come from. He was Cait's lover; he didn't want Cait to know that without him, he'd never have existed. No, that was moving into territory Vincent didn't like. The last thing he wanted was for Cait to start treating him differently if he found out that his lover was just as much his "father" as Reeve was. …No, that was unacceptable.

"Because," he whispered into a feline ear, "you're _you_." Despite the words being extremely clichéd, Cait felt a jolt run through his circuitry. One of these days, Vincent's sensual voice and touch would overload his circuits, he just knew it…

"If you thought that sappy answer would get you anywhere," he turned around and brought their faces together, reaching up to pull down Vincent's cloak from his face, "you were _completely_ right."

And as they kissed, each putting as much passion and love into it as they could and simply not caring about all of the odds stacked against them, Cait couldn't help but wonder when Vincent would finally confess… It hadn't been hard to find his original design, no matter how well Reeve thought he'd hidden it. Cait's AI was simply too advanced to be fooled that easily. And he _really_ wanted to thank Vincent for making him so cute.

For now, he supposed his kisses would have to do the talking for him.


	10. Cradle

One Step Away—Cradle

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding, plus language courtesy of Cid

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: Jeez… This is a perfect example of why I shouldn't write angst. But it kinda wrote itself anyways… And it stop being angst by the end, cause really, I hate sad stuff. Hmm, not too much else to say, other than I managed to stick in another crack couple near the end, just because I can. Yes, I am evil, thanks for noticing.

30kisses theme: #22-Cradle

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 04-15-06

* * *

When Cait simply shut down one day, without any prior notice, everyone was confused. The robotic cat went into standby mode at night, but never had he just _stopped_. They hadn't been fighting or anything, just walking through a field, when all of a sudden they here a loud pop… And Cait and his Mog slumped to the ground, silent and motionless.

And no one had any idea why.

But perhaps even odder than his sudden malfunction was one of their teammates reactions to it. The noise had grabbed their attention, allowing them to turn around as Cait was shutting down. And mere seconds after that, Vincent had rushed over to the cat, picking him up and cradling him in his arms. Frantic but quiet words spilled from his mouth, trying to rouse Cait from whatever had come over him. It was almost surreal; the gunman had never shown this much emotion to any of his teammates before, so why was he starting now?

Three days went by without any change. Cid and Cloud had gotten the duty of moving the Mog to the next town, as Vincent refused to put down the cat _or_ leave the Mog. They'd made it to town before nightfall, heading straight for the inn. Rooms had been secured, and Vincent automatically took Cait into his, not saying a word.

No one had questioned why he stayed with Cait that entire time. They wouldn't receive an answer anyway. Even as they entered the room to bring him food, which he barely touched, not a single one could find the courage to ask, "_Why_?" Perhaps they didn't want to know. Perhaps they already knew. Regardless, the question never came.

The fourth day was almost over before anything happened to change the hopeless situation. It was Cid's turn to try to make the distraught man eat, and quite frankly, he wasn't looking forward to it. He was used to Vincent hiding in the shadows, not acting like he was watching his lover die a slow and painful death. But this was Cait Sith they were taking about; it wasn't like _that_, right? Cid couldn't help but wonder if Vincent would act this way if any of the others, himself included, had fallen comatose… He didn't like the answer his brain supplied.

"Valentine," he grumbled, barging in without knocking, "if ya' don't fuckin' eat soon, Tifa's gonna shove it down your throat and—" He would have said more, if the sight of Vincent clutching one of Cait's gloved paws with his good hand hadn't shocked the words right out of his mouth. Now, he knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that Vincent would never have done that for any of them. But still…

He opened his mouth to demand what was going on between the two when a spiky blond head poked in the room.

"Vincent?" Without waiting for a response, Cloud came into the room and held out his PHS. "It's Reeve. He wants to talk with you. You can bring it back whenever you get the chance." The gunman's eyes widened and he hastily dropped Cait's hand in order to accept the phone, a grateful look on his face. Cloud merely smiled and left without another word, not giving any indication that he'd seen anything out of the ordinary. Cid almost followed him, knowing that their "leader" must know what the hell was going on. Or at the very least, he knew more than Cid himself did. But his curiosity kept him in place as Vincent started to speak.

"Reeve? What's going on? … I know that— … Are you sure? … Then he'll be fine? … When will it happen again? … All right. Thank you. … Goodbye." The conversation hadn't been very helpful, as whatever Reeve had been saying constituted the large gaps between Vincent's almost-desperate questions. Now that the executive had hung up, the gunman sighed heavily and tossed the phone to the end of the bed. Whatever he'd learned, it didn't put his mind at ease for him to leave the cat's side long enough to return it.

"Well," Cid spoke up after the silence went on much too long for his liking. "What the hell was that about? The fleabag gonna turn back on or what?" Vincent gave him a half-hearted glare, most likely from the fleabag comment, but it was obvious he wanted to tell someone the news.

"Reeve says this is normal. Cait's database occasionally needs to be updated with him turned off, so it did what it needed to do. Reeve has been busy dealing with Shinra and hasn't been monitoring him lately. That's why he didn't tell us sooner. But Cait should automatically turn on soon" Cid was sure which was more surprising at this point—Vincent saying more just then than he usually did in a week or the familiar use of Cait, sans the Sith. He stayed silent for a few moments, trying to decide how to ask what he was dying to know without sound like a total bastard…

"So… Ya' really care about him, huh?" He wasn't really expecting an answer, but he wasn't confused when Vincent hesitantly nodded. At this point, there wasn't much involving the gunman that was going to faze him.

"After what happened to Lucrecia, I swore I'd never let anyone else I love be hurt. So when he shut down…" It had to be hard for him to admit, the pilot assumed.

"He must a' known he'd be shuttin' down. Why the hell didn't he warn ya'?" The sad look that took over his crimson eyes told Cid that wasn't the best thing to ask at the moment.

"...I don't know." Cid had never been good at comforting others, so he decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being. They might not have been the closest friends, but he still liked Vincent more than a lot of the others and didn't want to cause him more grief than he already had.

The silence didn't last for long though. The sound of the buzz of processors and machinery soon filled the room, followed by a light groan. Cait slowly sat up, sensors readjusting after being off for three days.

"Vince?" The gunman merely took his hand again, though the worry in his eyes had changed to relief. "You didn't stay here the whole time, did you?"

"He sure as hell did!" Cid exclaimed, causing the cat, who hadn't noticed him, to turn his way. "Man's barely eaten in three days 'cause he was too worried 'bout your selfish ass. What, ya' get your kicks scaring him? What kinda lover are ya' anyways?" Cid was pleased to see the cat had the decency to look ashamed, a look that soon morphed into shock.

"Wait, what are you—"

"Save it," the blond interrupted. "Kinda hard not to notice when Mr. Antisocial's cradlin' ya' like a fuckin' baby and refusin' to leave your side. Look, what ya' do together is your own damn business, and more power to ya' for drawin' Vincent outta his depression, but if ya' hurt him…" The threat was left unsaid, but Cait got the point. He was honestly surprised that Cid didn't have a problem with their relationship, but he wasn't about to question it…

"I won't." Cid nodded, the simple answer being good enough for now. He snatched Cloud's PHS from the bed and headed towards the door.

"Good. Now talk this whole mess over so we can get outta this hellhole tomorrow." He paused, hand on the doorknob, and threw his head over his shoulder to look Vincent in the eyes. "And make sure ya' eat something." Vincent nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips, and Cid swiftly exited the room, his original mission finally completed.

When he got into the hallway, he wasn't at all surprised to see Cloud waiting for him. With a grunt, he tosses the younger man his phone, an annoyed glint in his blue eyes. Cloud stuck it in his pocket and nodded his thanks, patiently waiting for the questioning he knew was coming.

"Ya' knew." It wasn't a question, and Cloud knew exactly what he was talking about. He didn't deny it. "How long? And why the fuck didn't ya' tell me?" Cloud _could_ have told him it was because he was a loudmouth, but he decided to be nice.

"It wasn't my secret to tell. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't heard them a few weeks ago when I went to find them." Cid remembered the day in question, when Vincent and Cait had both disappeared, and Cloud, as the leader, took it upon himself to find them. He hadn't thought they'd disappeared together though.

"So they were…?" Cloud chuckled and the older man's reaction.

"No, they were just talking, but I heard enough. And speaking of things I heard…" He took a few steps forward until there were only a few inches between them. "Mr. Highwind, I do believe you were acting rather protective of Vincent. Should I be jealous?" The pilot snorted, bringing their faces even closer together.

"Why don't ya' shut the hell up and put your mouth to better use?" Cloud smirked before doing just that. Cid moaned into the sudden forceful kiss, wondering if his lover realized they were still in the hallway where anyone, including the girls that had a crush on their blond leader, could see them. He decided that yes, Cloud most likely knew but didn't care. But this wasn't the way for anyone to find out either, so he pushed the younger man away and gave him a grin.

"So, your room or mine?" Cloud's answer was consisted of grabbing Cid's hand and dragging him to his room. They wouldn't be seen again for quite some time.


	11. Gardenia

One Step Away—Gardenia

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding, plus language courtesy of Cid

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: I'm over a third done with this project, wow. Anyways, humor this time, because I wouldn't torture you with my awful angst twice in a row. And wow, no plot whatsoever! This puppy takes place before Cradle, seeing as it's referring to something that happened in that theme. Game-wise, this one is after Cait steals the keystone, but before Aerith dies, thus before they get the Highwind. I'm mean, but they have to be walking for this one. I don't know what I'll do next, but I swear Vincent and Cait will return to the focus next time… :_sweatdrop_:

30kisses theme: #11-Gardenia

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 04-19-06

* * *

'_Where could they have gone off to? I have things to do, people to see, psychos to kill… Okay, so I won't be killing Sephiroth or saving the world tonight, but I still have people to see…_'

Cloud was currently out looking for two of his missing teammates. They'd stopped in an abandoned cave to rest for the night, seeing as they were still a good two days away from a town, and within ten minutes both Vincent and Cait had gone missing. Now, Vincent was no problem. He'd been disappearing when they took breaks ever since he first joined up with them, and he was always back when they needed him. But Cait was another story. The last time he'd wandered off he stolen the Keystone and gave it to Shinra…

Vincent could do whatever he wanted, but Cait needed to be found as soon as humanly possible.

Since Cloud was the leader, whether he liked the position or not, he'd been expected to find the bouncy robot. He hadn't wanted to, as his thoughts and the mild look of irritation on his face indicated, but out of his six other teammates, five insisted that he be the one to go. The only one of them who _hadn't_ wanted him to go was the one he wanted to be with right now…

He picked up his pace, determined to find Cait and get back before it was too late to spend anytime alone with that certain someone.

'_I wish we had an airship or something… With rooms… That I could sneak into…_' If anyone knew his thoughts, they'd probably be stocked to know their stoic leader actually had hormones. But they didn't, and he was in too much of a hurry to care even if they could. '_Where are you cat…?_'

"Argh, Vince! These stupid flowers are too strong! Can't we go somewhere else?" Cloud stopped in his tracks as he heard the familiar voice of his target. He could have yelled out to him and gotten back just that sooner, but… Why was he with Vincent? And what was with the nickname? No, he had to stay and find out. Sneaking closer and hiding behind a tree, he took in the peculiar site before him.

Vincent was leaning against a tree, Cait sitting in the man's lap, the mechanical Mog a few feet away. The gunman was idly stroking synthetic fur and looking rather amused at Cait's words. He even appeared to be _smiling_, much to Cloud's amazement. There were shrubs with large milky white flowers around them, which Cloud's enhanced eyes could see even in the dark. They were obviously what Cait had been complaining about. He'd seen them before… Hadn't they passed some earlier that day? Yes, Aerith had pointed them out. But what were they…?

"They're Common Gardenia, also known as Cape Jasmine. Didn't you listen to Aerith when she lectured on them this afternoon?" Cait's silence was as good an answer as any. "Besides, they smell just fine. Perhaps Reeve mixed up which circuits distinguish between pleasant and offensive odors." Cait pouted at the answer, while Cloud's jaw almost dropped. First smiling, now cracking jokes? What was going on here?

"I didn't say they smell bad, just that they're too strong! My circuitry is just fine thank you very much!" Vincent chuckled and placed a soft kiss upon Cait's nose.

"I know." The small gesture calmed the cat down. He wasn't mad at Vincent's teasing, truth be told…

"I hate having to walk all the way out here just to be alone! Why can't we just tell them, huh? You could shot 'em if they said anything!" The gunman shook his head and pulled Cait closer to him.

"Not yet." Cait sighed, looking like he'd expected that short, yet definite, answer.

"Yeah, yeah… Hey, this is getting depressing! Come on, we don't know when they'll send someone after us! Let's make the most of our time, huh?" Vincent's smile was back as he leaned his head down to meet Cait's. Cloud turned around before he could witness their kiss, deciding that this wasn't something he should intrude on. He'd just tell the others they were fine, Cait wasn't stealing anything that wasn't his to take after all, and leave it at that. He began walking back to the cave, but he didn't get very far…

"Fuck, watch where the hell you're goin'!" Cloud, being only a mere inch shorter than the body he bumped into in his haste to get away, looked the angry man square in the eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Oh shit, that you Cloud? Damn, I can't see a thing out here…"

"What are you doing here Cid?" The older man chuckled and swiftly pinned Cloud against a tree. "And what happened to not being able to see anything?"

"I got sick of waiting for ya' to get back… And I'm gettin' used to the dark I guess." Cloud had a feeling that Cid could see just fine in the moonlight and that was just an excuse because he wasn't paying attention earlier, but he didn't mention it. "Ya' find that fleabag yet?"

"He's… Fine. So is Vincent. Let's just go back, all right?" Cid noticed the hesitation and normally would have called the younger blond on it, but right now he had other things on his mind…

"No way. I finally have ya' all alone, and we're not goin' anywhere for a while. The others don't know you found those two or that I found _you_, so they won't know a damn thing. Or do ya' got a problem with my plan?" Cloud sighed, though he didn't sound particularly annoyed, and weakly struggled against the hands pinning his shoulders to the tree. Cid let go, only to wrap his arms around Cloud's waist. In turn, he looped his own arms around the pilot's neck and brought their faces mere centimeters apart.

"Just shut up and kiss me old man." Cid was only too happy to comply.

* * *

Later that night when they all returned, separately of course, they brought with them the sweet smell of Gardenia. Aerith giggled to herself before lying down to get some sleep. She had a good feeling she knew what was going on… Flowers don't lie after all. 


	12. KHz

One Step Away—KHz

by Taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi, crossbreeding, and implied sexual content

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: This puppy was inspired by larathia at LJ, so blame her for the utter madness. No, just kidding. Blame me, because I was the one to take the joke seriously. This was something I mentioned somewhat in an earlier theme, and I just needed to expand on it. Sorry everyone, but I'm a pervert. I don't think the next theme will be quite so… out there, but we'll see. So until next time, viva la VincentxCait!

30kisses theme: #17-KHz (kilohertz)

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 05-24-06

* * *

Reeve didn't constantly monitor Cait, as he trusted the robotic cat to let him know when he should be listening in. At the very least, Cait could always record important information and send the data to him later. But every now and then, when Shinra was being too much of a hassle, Reeve would put on his headset and listen in on Avalanche.

He'd managed to learn some interesting things, whether from secretly listening in or by Cait telling him after the fact. Thanks to Cait's small size, he could leave his Mog and sneak around when the group was resting. So far, Reeve had learned that Nanaki had an irrational fear of butterflies, Barret secretly loved the color pink, Tifa had a foot fetish, Yuffie loved fluffy bunnies, Aerith carried a pocket flask, and Cid and Cloud snuck off every chance they got to do naughty things. Yes, he probably could have done without knowing some of that, but it would make great blackmail material should he or Cait ever need it.

In fact, the only member he didn't have anything juicy on was Vincent. He knew Cait must see him, but the cat never reported back with stories about the gunman. Nor did he ever seem to be watching Vincent when Reeve decided to play spy. It was rather odd, but he figured it must just be bad timing on their parts. Or maybe Vincent was really just a very boring man, he wasn't sure.

One day, after a particularly troublesome meeting that had ended with that despicable woman Scarlet trying to seduce him for the umpteenth time, he retreated to his office and got out his spy gear. As he got the earpiece in place, he wondered what he'd find today. Would they be fighting monsters, traveling, or resting? Resting was always the most amusing of the three, but traveling and battling seemed to be what the group did the majority of the time. He decided that he wouldn't alert Cait of his presence right away, just in case they _were_ in the middle of a battle.

With the flip of a switch, he was able to hear what Cait did.

"_Please_…"

And to Reeve's surprise, Vincent's voice was the first thing he heard. And even more to his surprise, it sounded like he was begging for something. Something… inappropriate. As strange as it seemed, it must be true. The circuitry for Cait's hearing system picked up more kilohertz per second than anything else on the market, so hearing wrong was out of the question. Yes, Avalanche was definitely resting at the moment, unless they'd started fighting tentacle monsters… Reeve had no idea where that thought came from, nor did he want to know.

"_Cait, more…"_

"_Well if you'd stop squirming so much, I could give you more, now couldn't I? Jeez Vince, you're so needy!"_

…Wait, what? Cait was actually with him, not spying? Well, then Reeve assumed that he must have been wrong about the situation. Sure, Vincent still sounded like he was begging, and Cait's teasing words and tone certainly seemed to support the notion, but still… Vincent and Cait? That was insane!

"_Stop teasing me cat. Either finish what you started or move aside."_

"_Oh come now, you know I'm much better than your hand!"_

No, whatever they were doing, it wasn't _that_. It was Reeve's own dirty mind playing tricks on him.

"_I mean it Cai—Cait!"_

Cait's reply was muffled, almost as if… No, no no _no_. He refused to believe that—

His denial was cut short by Vincent's moans and soft cries. Okay, so maybe they _were_. He supposed it wasn't the oddest thing in the world… Not that he could think of anything stranger at the moment mind you, but he was sure that there must be _something_.

And as he listened longer, he finally figured out Vincent's dirty little secret… He was a screamer. A very _loud_ one.

"_Oh Cait… Thank you."_

"_Aw, don't mention it Vince. This is really the only way we can be together without you crushing me after all. Though I could use my tail to—"_

"_No."_

"_Oh, you're no fun…"_

Reeve quickly pressed the button again to stop the audio feed, deciding that he didn't need to hear anymore. Now that his initial shock was wearing off, the reality of the situation was setting in. Vincent and Cait were together. Vincent Valentine and Cait Sith. _Together_. And he had just heard them…

He removed the earpiece and dropped it on the desk as if it was a poisonous monster. The next time he tuned in to those two, he was going to do the intelligent thing and shut it right back off. A few high-tech kilohertz weren't worth the crazy dreams he was sure to start having…


	13. Number 10

One Step Away—#10

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi, crossbreeding, and implied sexual content

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: So… This popped out of nowhere and ended up being one of those fics that write itself. It's not the style I normally write in, but hopefully it won't be bad. And I don't often jump around as much as I do here, but I think it works. As for Cait… I take a different path with his personality, but not too much. I'm sure that you'll notice all that stuff, but it's something I had to try. Remember, feedback when I try new things is very much appreciated, even if it's a simple, "I like it." Well, see you in the next chapter and enjoy the crack!

30kisses theme: #10-#10

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 07-18-06

* * *

The first kiss hadn't even been a kiss. Not _really_. It had been during a battle, when some horridly foul smelling creature—though Cait could only assume this from the others' reactions since he'd had the foresight to shut off his scent receptors—had attacked them. It had sprayed out a gas that quite effectively confused half of the group. Cait hadn't been one of them, but Vincent had. Said gunman had tripped over his own feet, something that would _not_ have happened in his right state of mind, and proceeded to knock the cat over.

It had only been a brief brush of their lips, but Cait still considered it their first kiss regardless. And after the battle was over and his other able-bodied teammates were fussing over the loopy ones, Cait had stared down at him thoughtfully, hopped off his Mog, and proceeded to give Vincent their second kiss. It was chaste and only one of them was fully conscious, but it was minor details like that that tended to ruin Cait's fun.

The third kiss came the very next day. It seemed that Vincent hadn't been out of it _quite_ as much as Cait had hoped. Not that he was at all perturbed when the man had rudely jerked him out of stand-by mode, drug him far enough away so no one could hear, and demanded to know what the cat had been thinking. Cait had patiently responded that he did what Reeve had programmed him to do—_what felt right_. Then he stood up on the Mog and did it again, though Vincent was completely awake and not at all confused this time. Well, not confused by the gas at least. Being kissed by a robotic cat was, of course, perplexing. When Cait pulled back seconds later, he turned and went back to camp without a word. Cait only smiled and followed.

Kisses four and five happened a week later, at an inn. Cloud was more of a tightwad than he'd have some people think, so this didn't happen often. Even then, they all had to share rooms. In the beginning of their travels, Cloud tended to get his own room since nine was an odd number and he was the leader. When he'd decided to stay with Cid this time, only a few of them, Cait included, hadn't been overly surprised. If those two wanted to let Yuffie have her own room so they could screw each other into oblivion, Cait was perfectly fine with it. After all, he got to bunk with Vincent that way, as everyone else either was annoyed by him or didn't fully trust him, even if the nicer members wouldn't come out and say it. Cait didn't care what they thought though. If Vincent trusted him, it was enough.

Number four happened when Vincent had decided they needed to talk again. Cait had smirked in that self-assured way of his, asking the gunman if kissing him had been so distracting that he needed to bring it up again. Then he'd gone on to say that he couldn't blame him, he was the sexiest robotic cat the world had ever seen—

And Vincent cut off his arrogant roommate by taking the initiative this time. It felt nice to have Vincent actually responding, Cait quickly concluded. He wanted the sensations that coursed through his circuitry to continue and never stop. So when Vincent had jerked away, that vaguely mortified look on his handsome face, Cait had only smiled and kissed him again. To his delight, Vincent kissed him back seconds later.

As the impatient cat perceived it, kiss six didn't come for a _very_ long time. They'd run into the Turks the next day, and Vincent seemed to be ignoring him anyways. Cait was only vaguely sure he knew why. He wasn't human; he understood and accepted that fact. He didn't have that sense of right and wrong that Vincent did; there was no conscious in his mind—his mind was filled with wires and stuffing. His AI gave him the information he needed to function in the world without his creator, but he didn't always listen to it. When logic dictated that a robotic cat who was, for all practical purposes, male could never have any sort of relationship with a human male who had four demons living in his mind, he firmly said, "Screw logic," and instead tried to figure out how to get Vincent to adopt his liberal mindset.

In hindsight, pouncing on Vincent in the dead of night after a month of no contact _probably_ hadn't been the best idea he'd ever had, considering such a dangerous man could have torn him to shreds with a swipe of his gauntlet. But his direct approach seemed to work, because they made out the best flesh and plush could before Nanaki twitched in his sleep and alerted Vincent to the danger of the situation. Cait hadn't particularly cared if anyone caught them, but he respected Vincent's wishes to go back to his Mog and get some rest. He wasn't happy though.

Luckily, number seven had come in the morning, when they'd slipped off while Tifa was yelling at Yuffie. Something about being a "Materia stealing little brat." Whatever; it gave Cait the chance to lock lips with the man that his AI had decided was _The One_. He'd thought Vincent would want to talk again, and he'd even had a nice quip ready about him always wanting to share their feelings like some teenage girl, but he was pleasantly surprised when hot lips covered his own. And he was even more pleased when he heard a faint, yet sensual, moan in the back of the gunman's throat. Cait promised himself then and there that he'd get Vincent to make that noise again in the near future.

It had been a month, a week, and three days since their first "kiss." It was also later that night when number eight came. Number eight was actually comprised of multiple kisses, but since they were so close together and their lips barely parted anyways, Cait efficiently grouped them collectively. To normal people, the fact that it had been mere hours since the last kiss and only little over a month since the whole thing started _probably_ would have constituted as taking things too fast. But Vincent was far from normal and Cait wasn't even human, so they kissed until the human was out of breath and the robot felt like his circuits might catch on fire. Then they calmly walked back to camp, Vincent looking stoic, and Cait appearing smug. And though Nanaki was still awake and saw their return, everything looked normal, so he assumed nothing exciting had happened and went back to sleep.

Obviously, number nine had happened the next day, though it hadn't been until that night, seeing as Cloud had been eager to move out once everyone woke up. Cait had been impatient to leave and didn't even bother with an excuse; he just walked into the woods. Vincent, not even fully knowing what he felt about their situation, said something about making sure the imbecile didn't get hurt and followed. But for all his initial annoyance when he caught up to the robot, he certainly didn't complain when Cait showed him that he was talented not only with his synthetic tongue, but with his tail as well. Cait was just proud that he'd made the man make that lovely noise again.

Kiss number ten didn't come the next morning, the next night, or even the next week. When Yuffie had caught them during kiss number nine and sexual experience number one, Vincent had started avoiding him. Cait wasn't even sure why. The ninja might be a thieving brat, but she hadn't been angry or upset, or even all that shocked. On the contrary, she'd thought it was rather sweet, in a twisted sort of way, and had promised to keep their secret. Vincent had just stalked off, disappeared until the morning, and ignored Cait for the past week and four days. The best the cat could come up with was that being caught had made the situation even more real for Vincent than even Cait getting him off with his tail had. Not that it should have mattered, in Cait's opinion. He _liked_ it when things felt real, and Vincent made him feel alive in a way nothing and no one else ever could. And, quite frankly, he'd be damned if he was going to let that be taken away because Vincent was _confused_.

Cait didn't really understand confusion, just as he didn't fully comprehend many human emotions. His AI was excellent, but not perfect. Confusion was one of those emotions that didn't come as easily as anger, happiness, greed, or lust. He could feel _those_. But confusion just felt like wires being crossed, and that didn't happen very often. So after eleven days of waiting, he firmly decided to do things the Cait Sith way; namely, he'd work his charm and get his own way.

It turned out to be harder than he'd thought. Vincent would just ignore his, in Cait's opinion, very polite requests to take a little walk. Yuffie, the only other one who knew what was going on, only hoped the gunman would give in before his lover—_were they calling themselves lovers yet?_—did something rash. Of course, she didn't have to worry. Cait never did things without thinking them through. Oh no. He thought them through _very_ carefully, just as he did at that moment. That didn't mean he wouldn't do what he wanted in the end, but at least he took the time to consider his options. And in this case, he decided that if Vincent had been weary of the others' reactions… Well then, he was just going to have to throw him right into the face of his fear, wasn't he?

Thus, kiss number ten took place with the rest of Avalanche as witnesses.

* * *

"Cait, wake up." Said robotic cat came out of stand-by, immediately looking as indignant as he could. He looked up at Vincent from where he lay on his lover's stomach; he probably would have glared if Reeve had given him eyes capable of opening.

"I wasn't asleep Vince." They both knew it was technically true, so Vincent didn't bother to say anymore on the subject. Instead, he ran the back of his human hand over Cait's sensitive sensor-covered cheek, earning him a happy sigh to replace the previous annoyed look he'd been getting. In the back of his mind, Chaos sneered something about them being the prefect couple—total freaks. Vincent ignored him.

"Cloud is waking the others. We must ready ourselves to leave." Cait nodded, not wanting to leave his lover for his less comfortable Mog, but knowing he had to in order to fight. Maybe once they'd defeated Sephiroth… Until then, he'd have to make due with only having Vincent during the night, even if some of their teammates were still a bit squeamish about the idea. Oh well.

Before he left, he pressed a soft kiss to the gunman's lips, letting plush meld with skin for the five-hundredth and seventy-third time since that first time during battle. Needless to say, after that day in front of the others, Vincent had stopped caring what they thought. Following that, the kisses came much more quickly.

But even now, number ten was still Cait's favorite.


	14. Wada Calcium CD3

One Step Away—Wada Calcium CD3

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi, crossbreeding, and lightly implied sexual content

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: Seriously, Vincent was _made_ for this theme. Anyways, this is pretty straight forward, so there isn't much to say. Um… I wrote it in church, so that makes it a bit unique. No specific time that it takes place. Just your run of the mill humorous fluff, with a healthy dose of sarcasm on both parts. Gotta love 'em. Hope you enjoy!

30kisses theme: #28- Wada Calcium CD3

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 07-31-06

* * *

Vincent raised an elegant eyebrow at the bottle handed to him. He knew that his lover gave unconventional gifts, but _really now_. A bottle of pills? What was he up to _this_ time?

"What are these?" Cait gave him a look that clearly said, '_You're joking, right?_'

"Wada Calcium CD3. Just like the label says." Vincent sent back his own look—'_Stop being an idiot_.' Cait dutifully ignored it.

"I can see that. But what do they _do_?" Judging by the look on Cait's face, he known that all along and was just trying to be a pest. He was good at that after all.

"Oh, well, they're just high dosage calcium supplements. You know, to keep your bones strong? They're meant for people who don't get enough sunlight or fish, and for older people. You're pale enough that strangers think you're a vampire, I've never seen you eat a fish, _and_ you're over fifty, so I thought they might be useful."

Vincent didn't know whether to be offended or touched. Cait _knew_ that his body was physically twenty-seven and, thanks to Hojo, would remain that way for a _very_ long time. But if his sometimes-twisted AI logic had just assumed that they could somehow be of help…

"Are you being serious?" That smirk clearly indicated that he _wasn't_. "…I'm going to rip your tail off." Cait's smirk simply widened.

"Empty threats my dear. We both know that my tail is essential in the more, shall we say, _physical_ aspects of our relationship." A lesser man probably would have blushed at that point. Vincent wasn't one of those men. He just glared.

"Try me." Cait still didn't believe him of course, but over time, he'd learned that sometimes it was just better to let Vincent think he'd won.

"Okay, okay, fine. You win… Can I give them to Cid then?" Cid would probably put a spear straight through Cait's head, but Vincent wasn't feeling particularly pleased with his lover at the present moment. If worse came to worse, Reeve could just send a new body…

"Are your mental files backed up?" Cait's face clearly showed his confusion, but he nodded nonetheless. "Then go ahead." If Cait's eyes had been capable of opening, they surely would have shown in pure happiness. He instead settled for placing a quick kiss to his lover's lips.

"Excellent! Let's go!" Cait ran off to find the surely pilot, while Vincent followed a few feet behind him. Upset or not, he'd grown rather fond of the pesky cat's body… Maybe he'd save his annoying lover at the last second after all.


	15. Letter

One Step Away—Letter

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi, crossbreeding, and lightly implied sexual content

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: …I'm gonna burn for this one, I just know it… Oh well! This certainly is standalone; I swear I won't make you all try to wrap your brain around this concept more than once. Oh, but this does relate to my CidxCloud fic, _Heavenly Sins_, explaining how certain… things came to be. You'll see.

30kisses theme: #2-News; letter

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 11-23-06

* * *

As usual, Yuffie was late. Despite it being _her_ doing that lead to them all to gathering at the 7th Heaven, no one really expected the hyperactive nineteen-year-old _actually_ to be on time. In fact, if she had been, it probably would have meant that someone had died. And seeing as no one wanted _that_, there were no complaints when she came bounding into the bar with almost everyone else already there. 

"Hey guys, you're _never_ going to believe this! Oh, it's the biggest news _ever_! Get this—"

"Wait," Tifa said, being the only one to recover from her sudden outburst quickly enough to cut her off, "Vincent and Cait Sith aren't here yet. I'd think they'd be here soon…" Well, Cait would've at least. Who knew if Vincent would even show up? Yuffie impatiently waved off the news though.

"They aren't coming 'cause the news is about _them_. Now let me finish! See what I hold in my hands?" She held a letter high above her head, ignoring the looks she received that clearly told her to get on with it. "It's a letter from Vincent!" Well, that got their attention. The gunman had never written them a letter before. He'd just _finally_ broken down and gotten a phone; not that he'd ever called one of them of course…

"Why didn't he just fuckin' call ya?" Cid questioned, ever-present cigarette dangling between his lips. It wasn't as if it was a big deal for him to come to Midgar—he'd been planning to come see Cloud soon anyways—but _damn_, Yuffie could grate on his nerves! She was much too peppy to deal with at _any_ hour.

"Cool it old man. As soon as I tell you what the letter says you'll _know_ why he didn't call me." The only thing that saved the ninja from being impaled by a pole arm was the look Cloud shot the pilot that promised no more sex if he killed her. She was safe until he could come up with a way to make it look like an accident…

"Hey, Marlene and Denzel will be back soon, so if you're going to tell us, you better do it now." Seeing as Yuffie had nothing to gain from irritating Barret, unlike a certain whipped pilot, she nodded and cleared her throat.

"Okay, remember this is the biggest news _ever_. It will shock and amaze you, I promise! Not even _I_ saw this coming. You see, Vincent and Cait Sith…" She paused for dramatic effect, during which everyone rolled their eyes. "…Got hitched!"

At first, there was complete silence, and Yuffie pouted at their lack of enthusiasm. Come _on_. She'd just given them the _biggest news ever_! Or did they keep forgetting that? But she didn't have to worry. Once the shock wore off…

"What?!"

"Come again?"

"You're kidding me…"

"What the fuck?!"

"I knew it…"

It was the last reaction that caught everyone's attention.

"What the fuck do you mean '_you knew it_'?" Cid's question also held the added unvoiced question, '_And why the hell didn't you tell **me**?_' Cloud, who was back to his old self after the events that had taken place a few months prior, shrugged and hoped Cid didn't cause a scene.

"Well, it makes sense. When we were trying to stop Sephiroth, they were always disappearing together."

"Yeah," Tifa piped in with a knowing grin, "and we all know what happened with another set of guys that always disappeared together…" Yuffie giggled as Cid flushed deeply and swore under his breath. The males left out of the conversation decided that it was best to keep quiet, lest they be dragged in too.

"Tch, bastards… Look, if Vincent wants a fuckin' annoyin' robot shaped like a damn cat then that's _his_ problem. But how the hell did they get married?" That was certainly a good question. Yuffie shook the letter and grinned.

"I know! Vincent says they found a place that would marry _anyone_, even if it isn't _technically_ legal. Anyone know of such a place with very few morals around here?" Cid, Barret, and Nanaki all looked perplexed, but Tifa burst out laughing and Cloud's face was suddenly redder than Nanaki's fur.

"The Honeybee Inn," he muttered, causing Tifa to laugh all the louder. Yuffie was glad the girls had told her the story back when they traveled together, though it was obvious that the other guys had missed that one.

"Yeah, that's the one. After Midgar was rebuilt, they expanded to include an anything-goes chapel. So, according to when the letter was dated… They got married a week and a half ago."

"Why didn't you tell us until now then?" Nanaki questioned. Yuffie's ever-present grin simply widened.

"Cause they asked me to wait until today. The rest of the letter says they were going on their honeymoon right after and not to tell anyone until they day they would be back. So I guess we should be hearing from them soon—" She was cut off by the sound of the door being kicked open. They all turned to said door and were greeted to the sight of a certain gunman looking _more_ than a bit ticked-off and a certain robotic cat in his arms.

"He insisted that I carry him over the threshold," Vincent explained dryly when no one said anything.

"Jeez Vince, it's not like I weigh _that_ much." They both knew that wasn't the issue, but Vincent wasn't about to admit that he was a touch embarrassed to be doing such a thing in front of others. After all, Vincent didn't _get_ embarrassed.

The newlyweds stood in the front of the bar, six sets of eyes watching them closely. It was unnerving, to say the least. Vincent waited patiently for a reaction, knowing from the letter in Yuffie's hand that they all knew what had happened. But Cait, not having nearly enough patience installed on his motherboard, hopped out of his husband's arms—much to the gunman's relief—and walked up them.

"What, never seen a married cat before?" Realizing that _no_, they probably _hadn't_, he tried again. "Two of your friends come back after their honeymoon and all you can do is _stare_? What kinda friends _are_ you anyways? Can't you say something?" Of course, the guilt trip worked its magic.

"Sorry Cait," Cloud apologized for everyone, slipping into the leader role he was so good at, "we're all just a bit surprised, that's all. …How was your honeymoon?" Cid muttered something about not wanting to know, but the cat ignored him as he usually did.

"Oh, it was the greatest! Vince still had the dress from the wedding, so we got some rope, and then—" Vincent scooped up his husband and clamped his good hand over his mouth, resulting in an indignant Cait flailing in his arms.

"If any of you say _anything_…"

"A dress?!" Yuffie yelled, laughing so hard she had to sit down. Not even Vincent's death glare was enough to stop the snickers from around the room. "You wore a _dress_? Oh that's the funniest thing _ever_." The gunman did his best to ignore his friends' laughter and instead focused his attention on Cait.

"I hate you." Cait gently pushed the hand over his mouth aside and smiled at his husband cheekily.

"I love you too muffin." The resulting kiss effectively melted Vincent's anger.

* * *

There had, of course, been an extensive Q and A session once everyone calmed down, and Vincent had gotten a decade's worth of embarrassment in just a few hours. The question "Who's on top?" came up in various forms no less than four times. But seeing the way Cait only had to give him a kiss to calm him down… 

Well, none of them would have ever honestly guessed that _Cait Sith_ would be dominant over _Vincent Valentine_, but it wasn't _all_ that strange when they thought about it. Well, still strange of course, but considering the basics of the relationship, there wasn't too much that surprised any of them anymore.

"So, ya gonna tell me about that Honeybee Inn or what?" Cloud sighed, having hoped that the day's excitement would have made his lover forget all about that.

"…I had to do some… things there before I met you. Some things that I really _really_ don't want to talk about." Cid opened his mouth to protest, but Cloud cut him off by plucking the cigarette out of his mouth and giving him a pointed look. "Some other time, but _not_ now." Cid shrugged and snatched his cigarette back, taking a long drag before setting his lover with an amused look.

"Well, it's obvious ya hate that place, but would ya be willin' to go back for a little while?" Cloud raised an eyebrow in question, feeling a bit suspicious.

"This better not be some ploy to get me to tell you—"

"Nah," Cid cut him off, "nothin' like that. I was thinkin' that if a guy and a robot can… Wanna get hitched ourselves?" There was a silence that lasted much longer than Cid had thought it would. Thinking he'd made a mistake, he was about to say he'd been kidding but never got the chance to as he suddenly found his lap full of a ball of blond.

"Yes! If I'd known that hellhole did those things earlier… Well, it doesn't matter now. As long as I don't have to wear a dress again—"

"Again?" The question went unanswered—though Cid swore that he'd find out sooner or later—as Cloud pressed his lips to his new fiancé's. It seemed that their honeymoon was going to start early…


	16. Overflow

One Step Away—Overflow

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi, crossbreeding, and lightly implied sexual content

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: I decided that the last fic—_Letter_—needed a prequel. After all, why would Vincent agree to marry Cait in the first place? Well… This is why. Other than the last one, this isn't related to any other theme. There'll probably be one more in the little marriage arc… We'll see. For now, enjoy the insanity!

30kisses theme: #27-overflow

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 01-24-07

* * *

"Ah, my love, how it overflows!" It took a lot to surprise Vincent, it really did. He'd seen a lot of things in the many years he'd been alive, but somehow, Cait always managed to get the better of him. Maybe it was in his programming? '_Say completely random things at completely random times to confuse the hell out of Vincent_.' Yeah, he wouldn't put it past Reeve.

"Is that so?" Cait nodded happily, bouncing around the room and generally being a nuisance. But he knew that Vincent thought he was cute, so he didn't worry much about it.

"Oh yes, yes it is! My love for you is like a river, threatening to overflow and drown the small village that must flee with their children and ask why god hates them as their houses wash away! But miraculously, the sheep are okay!" …It was a good thing Cait couldn't eat, because he hated to think of how he'd act under the influence of sugar. A sugar-high Cait Sith would be more frightening than Sephiroth had been _any_ day.

"That's wonderful…" Cait noticed that his lover was just humoring him, but he didn't really care. He knew he was the only one who could completely flabbergast the stoic man… It was like a source of pride to him.

"Ah, yes… Those lucky sheep." Vincent didn't answer, and a good five minutes went by with utter silence. It was beautiful… "Hey Vince, does your love overflow too?" …And of course, it was too good to last.

"Of course Cait." Humoring him always worked, thankfully. God knew he loved the little pest, but what a pest he was. But today it seemed—judging by the evil smirk that slowly formed on the robotic cat's face—that he was going to stretch his limits as thinly as possible…

"Wonderful! Then it's settled!" Oh, to take the bait or not…

"What's settled?" _Bingo_. Cait leapt into his lover's lap, nudging his face against the gunman's chest, acting far too much like a cat for comfort. If they hadn't slept together before, he probably would have felt nauseous… But as it was, having furry robotic tails within various parts of your body made one much more tolerant of such things. A bit deprived perhaps, but that hardly concerned him at this point. No, whatever the conniving little pest was up to concerned him _far_ more.

"Why, our marriage of course." It was then that Vincent did a very un-Vincent-like thing… He started choking. And he wasn't even drinking anything. Cait was much too amused to be overly concerned, even though the sudden action knocked him to the ground. "Oh, come now Vince. I know it's exciting, but it's nothing to die over…"

"Cait… I should rip your vocal box out." The cat merely laughed and hopped back onto his lap, knowing the threat was completely idle.

"Don't be ridiculous, you know I have chips for those things…" Vincent looked far from impressed. Time for a new tactic… "Don't you love me?" How a _cat_ managed to pull off puppy dog eyes, he'd _never_ know…

"Of course," Vincent replied wearily, though he hid it well. "But when exactly did I agree to marry you? That would be quite impossible." Cait smirked at that. A smirk that was quite disquieting. He hated it when Cait did that…

"Impossible you say? Oh, that's where you're wrong my darling! Look!" He leaned over and snatched the newspaper off the table, flipping to a certain section and shoving it in Vincent's face. "See?" Vincent grabbed the newspaper and held it at a distance he where could actually read it, and… If he'd been a lesser man, his jaw would have dropped. As it was, his eyebrow twitched.

"This is ridiculous…" Staring up at him was a full-page ad advertising some place in Midgar called the Honeybee Inn. Apparently, it had just been rebuilt after being destroyed the year before, and now it was offering to perform marriage ceremonies… '_Want to marry your girlfriend? Your boyfriend? Your cousin? Your cat? Then come to the Honeybee Inn's fabulous new wedding chapel! We'll marry **anyone**!_' The tiny print that said '_Marriages not valid in all areas_' was _hardly_ surprising.

"No, no, it's excellent! They'll let you marry your boyfriend _and_ your cat! So let's go get married!" Getting married… Once upon a time, Vincent had dreamed of doing just that. Of course, it had been to Lucrecia, and the thoughts of marrying someone like Cait—male, feline, robotic—were nowhere in sight. And now to have that chance again…

"You really want to marry me?" Cait shook his head and made a _tsk_ noise.

"Vince, Vince, Vince… You're so insecure sometimes!" He would have protested, but Cait didn't stop there. "Of course I wanna marry you! I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to. Just think, the world's hottest guy and smartest and greatest fortuneteller supreme, bonded together in marital bliss… Our children will be beautiful geniuses!"

"…Children…? Cait, we can't have—"

"We'll have to make travel arrangements right away. Then we need to decide on a place for our honeymoon…" As Cait babbled on about everything they'd need to do, Vincent wondered exactly what he was getting into. Five minutes ago he was relaxing and now he was engaged! Though, he supposed he'd been through stranger things in his time… "…and get you fitted for a wedding gown!" …Or maybe not.

"…No."

"Oh, don't be like that muffin! You'll look simply lovely in white frills and lace." Three seconds later, Cait found Cerberus pressed to his temple.

"I said no. And never, _ever_, call me muffin again." Cait simply laughed and hopped off Vincent's lap, knowing that his lover would never really shoot him… It would be more hassle than it was worth to get Reeve to rebuild him.

"Whatever you say cupcake. We'll get you fitted at the bridal shop tomorrow!" Vincent cursed when Cait swiftly dodged the bullet and ran out of the room laughing. The things he did for love…

But he _wouldn't_ wear a dress.

Really.


	17. Red

One Step Away—Red

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: First thing's first—Cait's look in this one uses his AC/DoC colors. Yes, that's important knowledge to possess as you read this. Admittedly, this one is rather odd, but… I like the concept, so I think it's okay. Vincent is a rather obsessive individual who dwells on things a bit too much, and I wanted to capture that here. Did I succeed? You tell me. The next one will hopefully be…fluffier. Or something.

30kisses theme: #19-red

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 03-08-07

* * *

There was something missing. Something important. Something…red.

Vincent gazed down at the limp body lying on the table. Cait Sith, self-proclaimed fortune teller extraordinaire, was, quite frankly, an idiot. Well, number seven had been at least, and considering the first six models hadn't been any better, he had to assume that number eight would eventually do something just as idiotic as the last one had done a mere week before. Cait hadn't honestly thought that polishing his guns without the safety turned on had been a _good_ idea, had he? Knowing him, he'd probably thought it was some sickenly sweet gesture and hadn't even thought of the danger…

He was just lucky that he'd missed blowing up his memory chip... Unfortunately, the rest of his head hadn't been so lucky.

Reeve had sent him a new model right away. As per Vincent's request, model number eight looked just the same as the last one had. Black and white fur, white gloves, brown boots, a little golden crown, and yet, something was missing. And it was red.

He knew it shouldn't matter. It wasn't a big deal; it was just a piece of cloth. He wore one himself, and he felt no attachment to it. Yet, somehow, he couldn't bring himself to activate the cat without it in place. Three days, it had been _three days_ that Cait had been lying there, and Vincent hadn't placed in the old memory chip to bring his companion—partner, friend, _lover_—back to consciousness. And due to his knowledge of how ridiculous he was being, he couldn't even bring himself to contact Reeve and ask for a new one.

'_I should just make one myself_,' he'd thought the previous day. But it just wouldn't be the same. Somehow, it wouldn't feel right, and it was driving him insane. He wasn't supposed to be such a sentimental fool—he didn't _want_ to be one. And yet there he was, not able to turn on a robotic cat because of something as trivial as red cotton.

Cait would laugh if he ever found out.

"Mister Valentine? Special delivery from Mister Tuesti." The deliver boy's voice filled the empty house. It was the same one from the last delivery, when the package had been from Reeve… He walked calmly to the front door and saw the young man holding a small box. Silently—as that was his nature—he accepted the package and tipped the smiling man. With a small nod of thanks, he turned around and slowly walked back to the kitchen. Once there, he carefully sliced through the tape with his gauntlet. He wouldn't get his hopes up, because there was no reason to. It wasn't important, it _wasn't_…

He moved the flaps aside and saw red. Pulling the object out, he saw a small note attached with a safety pin—_Sorry about forgetting this before, but I thought Cait might miss it_. Vincent plucked off the note, stuck it in his pocket, and resolved to destroy it—he had no plans on informing Cait of the truth. It was silly after all…

…And yet, no matter how inane it may be, it didn't stop the ghost of a smile that graced his lips as he fastened the red cape to Cait's body, laid a kiss to his forehead, and finally went to fetch his memory chip.


	18. Radio Cassette Player

One Step Away—Radio-Cassette Player

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: Quite honestly, I think I…stray with this one. It's really two ideas that I couldn't flesh out melded into one fic. It's still more or less the effect I wanted though. Not too much else to say about it… Other than Yuffie rocks my socks. She really does.

30kisses theme: #14-radio-cassette player

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 05-30-07

* * *

"What is it?" Vincent wasn't sure if he should be amused by the question or not. On one hand, it was rather amusing to see Cait so confused, when he usually had knowledge on all subjects hardwired into his system—literally. But on the other hand, it was strange that he didn't know what it was. Were his circuits shorting? Should he call Reeve and make sure his memory files were backed up, just in case?

"…It's a cassette player." Cait did that thing he did when he was scouring his memory banks for information. His nose scrunched up and the looked so thoughtful… It bordered on adorable, and that was hardly a word Vincent used lightly.

"Cassette player… Oh yes, a primitive device for playing audio that resides on a cassette tape, which passes magnetic tape between two miniature spools. …These haven't been used in over fifty years! Why do _you_ have one?" …He _looked_ like he was serious. And because of that, Vincent wondered why Reeve hadn't programmed more common sense into him.

"Perhaps you have forgotten, but I was asleep for fifty years. Cassettes were still available when I was a young man." Cait nodded and let out an "oh!" of understanding. That was right; Vincent had told him and all of their friends about it back when they were out saving the world. It was hard to believe he was really that old. He certainly didn't look his age after all…

"Yeah, I remember now. You're ancient, aren't you Vince!" It wasn't a question, and Vincent knew better than to rise to the bait. "So… Why'd you get this thing out anyway? Just because you used to live in the dark ages doesn't mean we do now!" He _almost_ told the annoying bundle of circuits and fur that the technology fifty years ago was _hardly_ primitive, until he remembered that Cait already knew that. He just got off on other people's misery, and Vincent refused to fuel such blatant sadism.

"Yuffie sent me a tape with her last letter. Heaven knows where she got it or what's on it…" This peaked Cait's curiosity. He and Yuffie were kindred spirits after all. They both loved making mischief, making money, and most of all, making Vincent go crazy. Whatever she'd sent, he had a feeling that he'd like it…a lot.

Neither said anything as Vincent popped the tape into the cassette player and pressed the play button. Yuffie was very lucky that the two lived in an older house that still had the electrical outlets needed to plug the player in. And with a bit of creative rewiring, Vincent had been able to power the house up long enough to see what Yuffie was up to. Whatever it was, he hoped she had a good reason for making him go through all this trouble…

"_Hey there guys! I found this wicked old tape recorder and figured you'd have one too, since, you know, Vince is ancient and all!"_ Cait snickered; Vincent wisely remained silent. "_So I decided to record this tape! Hmmm, what should I say to you guys…? Guess I should've planned something, huh? Oh well! Let's see… Ah! I was visiting the guys in Midgar the other day, and you'll never guess what I heard the kids talking about! Marlene told Barret she wanted a cat and then __**he**__ said—_"

Vincent listened with growing unease as Yuffie mentioned things such as "faux-bestiality," "robophilia," and "I don't want you ending up like Valentine!" It wasn't like he was ashamed of Cait and their relationship, but still… He didn't like the thoughts of his love life being discussed between one of his friends and a little girl.

"—_and then Barret said he'd get her one as long as she agreed not to marry it or anything like that. Ah, it was __**hilarious**__! You should've seen Cloud and Tifa laughing…_"

Cait wasn't surprised when he heard Vincent get up and leave the room. Oh yes, he'd been right; Yuffie's tape was the highlight of his day, no, his _month_. He was definitely going to have to thank her the next time they met up… Because there was no doubt in his mind that Vincent was embarrassed, and an embarrassed Vincent was often a molestable one. And being the pervert he was, that a very appealing situation. But first…

"…_then Denzel decided they were all insane and asked for a dog—_"

* * *

The next day, Cait's lack of surprise over his lover's actions continued when he found the cassette player with multiple bullet holes in it, and the tape snapped in two. He only shrugged at the technological carnage; Yuffie's letters were just as entertaining after all.

"Pity that you ruined an antique…" Vincent didn't even bother with retorts—flesh met plush in an attempt to shut the brat up before further comments on his age could be made. Needless to say, the broken cassette player was the last thing on either of their minds.


	19. Excessive Chain

One Step Away—Excessive Chain

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: Well… This is just a short and silly piece my mind came up with when looking over the remaining themes I have. Seriously…_don't_ take this seriously.

30kisses theme: #13-excessive chain

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 07-24-07

* * *

Cait tugged at the collar around his neck, letting out an annoyed _humph_ when it wouldn't budge. That annoyance quickly turned into a startled yelp as something jerked him hard, causing him to tumble to the ground. He groaned as he stood up slowly, then proceeded to give his lover a very irritated glare.

Vincent only let the tiniest of smirks show in response.

"What in the world _is_ this?" Vincent opened his mouth to answer, but Cait anticipated a smartass reply, and thus clarified, "I know very well what it_literally_ is. I'd like to know why you felt it was necessary to put the extraordinary Cait Sith on a _leash_ of all things!" The human half of the couple almost brought up the fact that he _did_ look like a pet, but contrary to popular belief, those dice _did_ hurt if thrown at your head. Thus, he stuck to the facts.

"When small children run away from their mothers, they're put on leash. And since you always decide what a grand idea it is to run off and cause trouble when we go to Midgar, I will just have to make sure you stay with me, now won't I?" He ignored Cait's indignant pouting and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Besides, it's more of a chain than a leash. I've never seen a mother use metal to retrain a five-year-old."

"It's still…excessive," Cait complained, rather miffed at being compared to a preschooler. "Is it really necessary?"

"Need I remind you of the chocolate pudding incident?" Cait wisely said nothing. "I thought not." There was a period of silence that followed, where Cait merely tugged at the metal collar around his plush neck and Vincent watched him. The only noise was the clinking of the chain's links as Cait's tinkering jostled them together. Finally, after a good minute of carrying on in that manner, the cat looked up, a serious look on his face.

"You know, if I go through with this degradation today, I fully expect to be able to use this thing," he tugged on the chain for emphasis, "on you tonight." Vincent, rather than show surprise or disgust at the implications of that statement, nodded agreeably. After all, being the lover of the "extraordinary" Cait Sith was hardly something that was generally considered normal in the first place. The thoughts of experimenting with bondage seemed tame in comparison of their relationship on a whole.

"If you behave yourself today, then you may do as you please with the chain tonight. Are we in agreement?" Had Cait had eyes capable of opening, Vincent was sure they would have been lit up in excitement at the news. Instead, he jumped up to the table so that he was face to face with his lover and attacked his lips with vigor. Oh yes, having a lover who was programmed to be kinky, literally, was never boring…

"You've got yourself a deal Vince!" he exclaimed, not short of breath simply because he didn't _need_ to breathe. "Now come on, let's go get this meeting over with so we can get back and try this baby out! I won't even go near the chocolate pudding…" Cait jabbered on about how well behaved he would be, though, quite honestly, Vincent didn't care one way or the other how he acted in public. He'd grown used to it a long time ago…

He just liked seeing Cait tied up.

…But he didn't need to know _that_.


	20. If Only I Could Make You Mine

One Step Away—If Only I Could Make You Mine

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi, hints of het, and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

NEW Author's Note: After all of these years, I finally realized that I had five more chapters of this finished that I'd never posted. And I must be absolutely crazy, because I'm going to be posting the rest of them, with no changes except any spelling or grammatical errors I find. They'll go up in order of the "finished" date, though admittedly, this one is _way_ too serious for the situation at hand to be leading the pack. Whatever, up it goes. I have no idea if I'll write the last six, but who knows. It _is_ still my FFVII OTP after all, so I guess it's possible!

Author's Note: Ah, this is very short, and it only exists because I needed to have this character's POV on the relationship brought up. Every time I write with her, a little part of my mind wonders what she's really thinking… So here it is. It goes along with the marriage entries especially. If it seems a little odd, well, it should. Hopefully it isn't too hard to follow… Anyways, I'll focus more on the actual couple next time, I swear.

30_kisses theme: #26- if only I could make you mine

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 09-29-07

* * *

She knew that she'd had a crush on him for a long time. Such a long time… How many years had it been since they'd first met? Four years? My, she'd been such a child back then, so naïve… She'd actually thought she stood a chance.

Then again, she mused, she'd always thought, deep in the back of her mind, that she'd have her opportunity one day. The year before they'd been rather close after all, perhaps even closer than the object of her affection's current lover. She thought that maybe, just maybe, he was falling for her too. Maybe he'd confess his love and they'd run away, just the two of them…

Yes, she fully realized it had been a foolish fancy. She knew better now.

She'd always known he would never be hers, even if she told herself otherwise when she looked upon his handsome face. After all, she'd been the first one to know about _him_—her competition. They'd been friends despite the odds shortly after first meeting, then friendship had lead to deeper feelings, and before she had a chance of her own, they were together.

She played confidant to the mismatched couple, though it broke her heart. She might have been a naïve child back then, but she wasn't petty. No, she wouldn't try to steal him away; that was wrong. Instead she made excuses for their frequent absences, knowing exactly what they were doing as she made up story after story… It broke her heart a little more each time, but she kept a smile on her face. After all, if _he_ was happy, how could _she_ not be?

Eventually, they opted to tell the others, deciding that life was too short to hide all the time. The reactions had varied, but they were mostly positive. The relieved couple thanked her for keeping their secret for so long; for being such a great friend. _Friend_ hurt, but it was better than nothing.

Things happened, things changed… The world was saved, the world was in mortal peril again, wash, rinse, and repeat. Not much changed in some respects—they were still in love, and she was still hopelessly smitten. She still kept it to herself, waiting patiently for her turn…though it never seemed to come. It was about the time that the world had been saved a third time, the three of them all working quite close together, that she realized something very important.

She never would have her chance. All they'd been though, every obstacle and life-threatening situation, none of it had changed how they felt about each other. Nothing had ripped them apart; nothing had made them unfaithful. She was their friend, and would forever remain in that role. That was fate, destiny, _kismet_. Nothing short of death would ever tear them apart…and even then she had her doubts.

"Hey! Get over here and join in the party! How can we celebrate our marriage without our favorite little ninja?" She smiled at her rival and waved to indicate she'd be over soon. Her rival nodded and bounded over to her beloved, grinning and saying something she couldn't make out.

Yes, now it really was all over. They'd gotten married, and yet again, she'd been the first to know. Oddly, it didn't hurt as much as she might have imagined. Knowing that they trusted her more than anyone else made the pain go away, if only a bit. It also gave her hope that someday, just maybe, she'd find someone to make her as happy as they were.

"If only I could make you mine…" Yuffie whispered, watching as Vincent smiled at Cait and then lightly kissed his plush lips, the love between them plainly apparent. "But I can't, so I hope you two are happy together, forever and always…"

Somehow, she just knew they would be.


	21. The Sound of Waves

One Step Away—The Sound of Waves

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

NEW Author's Note: The shortness of these, oh the shortness. I'm determined to make one of the new prompts I write a decent length, just to make up for all of these.

Author's Note: Just a little thing to see how I do with mood pieces. No idea if I succeeded or not, but oh well. This takes place a few days before the final battle with Sephiroth, with no specific location in mind. The romance here isn't as in your face as the others have been, and I plan to have the next one have a bit more in that department. Until then, hope you enjoy this little experimental piece!

30_kisses theme: #29- the sound of waves

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 11-18-07

* * *

"Do you hear them?"

Of course he heard them. He had ears after all—something his companion technically lacked.

"They're so calming…"

How he found anything calming when they were days away from the final showdown for the fate of the world, he didn't know. Then again, there was a lot about his companion that confused him. He'd grown used to it though. How could he not, after all this time?

"Vince, why aren't you saying anything?"

He didn't even have to move his head to know that Cait was staring up at him, eyes perpetually closed, and circuitry being the only thing to _truly_ sense him. In a way, it was odd to know that someone he found himself feeling so attached to didn't have an ounce of flesh or a drop of blood in his body, but he'd grown rather used to _that_ too.

"Vincent! Answer me already!"

He wanted to, but he felt that if he spoke, it would ruin things. What things, he wasn't sure. Maybe the quiet atmosphere, maybe the annoyed and concerned—concerned for _him_, imagine!—tone Cait had…maybe just the sound of the waves.

"Fine, be that way; see if I care…

Vincent, rather than speaking the words on his mind, responded by hugging Cait's small body closer to his own, careful not to damage him with his gauntlet, and placing a soft kiss right below his ear. Perhaps Cait was right—the waves _were_ rather calming. He felt at peace, despite the hell he knew was awaiting them, and the spitfire of a robot in his arms was making himself comfortable, smiling a smile Vincent didn't need to see to know was there.

"I love the sound of waves…"

Vincent didn't comment; he didn't need to. They both knew the meaning behind Cait's words…

And they both knew Vincent's answer too.


	22. Invincible

One Step Away—Invincible

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: I had no old notes for these last three chapters, so these are all from three years or so after the fact. Uh…let's see… I don't think the team would really be such asses, at least not on the whole. I'm pretty sure that when I wrote this, it was supposed to be only a short while after Cait's betrayal though—starting on the way to the Temple of the Ancients perhaps—so I guess they'd be sore still. I dunno, let's go with that anyway.

30_kisses theme: #16- invincible; unrivaled

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 03-27-08

* * *

He knew what they said about him.

"_Why is he with us? Can we really trust him? He can't even fight!_"

True, he supposed that shouting orders through a megaphone was hardly as impressive as the swords and poles and guns around him, but surely he wasn't as useless as some of them thought? After all, he could hold his own in battle, and he'd saved their butts more than once… But it never seemed to stop the whispering when they thought he was powered down for the night.

Cait Sith was only a robot, and he realized that. In a way, it made him invincible. He could get slashed, crushed, burned—Reeve could send another copy of his body at a moments notice. As long as his data, his consciousness, was backed up, he could never really die. He could almost live forever…

Not that he really wanted to. Who was there to live forever with him? The only people he knew were his traveling companions and Reeve, and it seemed like only his creator didn't hate him. And Reeve certainly wouldn't live forever. Even if he passed down the secrets of the great Cait Sith to his children, it wouldn't be the same. Cait might find new people to rebuild his body, but he'd never find anyone to spend forever with.

And it was on that depressing note that he entered standby mode for the night, hoping that someone would bother to wake him in the morning and not leave him. And, of course, he completely missed the bright red eyes watching him intently.

* * *

A week later, Cait was still with Avalanche, yet he felt no more connected to them as before. He'd tried so hard to make up for his past sins, but nothing seemed to work… Sometimes he really hated his AI. Why did Reeve feel the need to give him the capability to feel such emotions in the first place…?

"Watch out!" Tifa's warning was all there was before a band of dragons was upon them. Cait stayed safely behind, shouting into his megaphone, summoning Shiva to help the group in the process. The others were in the fray, with the exception of Vincent, who stayed behind with him, shooting his gun from afar.

Come to think of it, Cait couldn't remember a time when Vincent had said anything against him. True, he hadn't said a word in his favor either, but still… Either Vincent didn't hate him, or he just didn't care enough either way to hate him. It was something at least.

His thoughts were cut short as something slammed into him, knocking him off Mog. It took him a few moments to realize that the very person he'd just been thinking of was responsible, and it took him even longer to figure out _why_. By the time it dawned on him that one of the dragons was currently ripping Vincent's back to shreds and that warm, sticky substance dripping down was blood…

He couldn't take it. Not really knowing why, he promptly shut himself down.

* * *

"—ngrateful littl—"

"—on't know, maybe he was tryi—"

"—dicluous, he was up to no goo—"

Slowly, Cait regained consciousness. He couldn't even remember why he'd turned off… Until he saw Vincent sitting across form him, bandages wrapped around his torso.

"Oh, hey there Vincent… Nice day, huh?" He received no answer, just a steady stare. Needless to say, it rather unnerved the little robot…and he didn't even have any nerves. "Ah… Thanks for saving me. Real nice of you." Still, not a word. "…You're okay, right?"

"I am fine." Alas, that wasn't very comforting to the cat.

"Really? Doesn't that hurt?" Honestly, he wasn't digging for trouble—he was just curious. A robot he might be, but he was a robotic _cat_… And far be it from him to abandon stereotypes.

"There are very few open wounds left. The rest should heal by tonight. Or have you forgotten that the experiments made me…invincible?" He said '_invincible_' like it was a dirty word. But Cait didn't have time to wonder why—he had an epiphany.

_Who was there to live forever with him?_

Who better than the man before him?

Suddenly, Cait didn't care what the others said about him. He didn't care that only one person besides his creator seemed to tolerate him. That one person was the one who held the answer to all his prayers. The question now was, how to get to him…?

"…Vince, why'd ya save me?" Vincent looked surprised at the unexpected shortening of his name—of course, for him that meant his eyes widened slightly.

"I could not let a comrade die." Cait frowned, not liking that answer. That wasn't good enough!

"Oh, no other reason? Cause I doubt any of the others would've taken that hit for me… It might've killed them, and Reeve could just send another me. I'm kinda invincible too after all." And there was that infamous Vincent Valentine silence again. So Cait had been right—there was more to it, and he didn't want to admit what it was. Well, that was just fine. He wasn't out of ideas quite yet. "We make a great team, huh? Neither of us can really die… We'll pretty much live forever!"

"Yes," Vincent muttered darkly, "forever. What a curse, to watch everyone you know die as you never age…" Cait pretended that wasn't almost the exact same thing he'd thought about in a rare depressive state a week ago.

"Yeah, I guess it _could_ be a curse… Unless you have someone to love there with you, right?" The gunman gave a noncommittal noise as his answer, which the optimistic robot took as a '_Yes, that's exactly right Cait, you genius!_'

…No one ever claimed to understand the way Cait's artificial mind worked.

"Then that settles it! We'll just have to fall in love and stay together, won't we?"

There was no answer for a solid minute, where Cait figured Vincent was simply containing his joy at the suggestion before saying anything. But as the seconds flew by and the gunman was still showing no signs of answering, even Cait's grand sense of optimism was falling.

"I mean, we don't _have_ to. It was just a sugges—"

"Yes, I suppose we will."

Silence reigned again, but this time it was due to Cait's shock. Vincent's normally stoic face was tinged with humor. It was quite a feat to surprise Cait into silence after all.

"Y-you mean…?" Vincent had never been a big fan of lengthy speeches or fancy words. He was more into doing what was necessary to get the job done quickly and efficiently...and the answer to this problem was simple. He leaned down at briefly pressed his lips to Cait's small nose in an affectionate gesture. He pulled back, greatly satisfied that the cat's jaw was still hanging open.

"Yes."

* * *

The next battle was much more enjoyable for Cait. He and Vincent watched out for each other, and best of all, he knew the gunman wouldn't hesitate to use his trusty gun to threaten anyone who said he was worthless. The others all realized they weren't invincible; thus, all further comments were kept to themselves.

And really, Cait didn't mind what they said anymore. He was going to spend his forever with the one person who shared his gift…and that was good enough for him.


	23. Look Over Here

One Step Away—Look Over Here

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy, I'd be rich. And I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

Author's Note: With all the long fics I write these days, these little drabbles masquerading as fics kind of amuse me. Anyway, this one had a lot of embarrassing typos to fix. Other than that…I don't have a lot to say. Maybe I'll do something with the human body again someday. Who knows?

30_kisses theme: #1- look over here

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 05-31-08

* * *

"Vince, hey Vince! Look over here!"

Vincent knew better to look, he really did. Nothing good ever came of indulging Cait in his requests, especially when there was an audience. The others looked more readily though, and it was more their reactions than anything that prompted him into turning around. After all, it was a bit hard to ignore _that_ many gasps.

And when Vincent finally looked, he could see where their surprise came from.

"Oh wow Vince, I'm so jealous! I take back every crack about bestiality I _ever_ made."

Yuffie's words did nothing to ease his shock. Had he been a lesser man, he likely would have passed out. But seeing as he was indeed still the same Vincent Valentine he woke up as, he settled for his red eyes widening to an almost impossible size. …Even as a young man with cat ears and a tail ran up to him…wearing a crown and red cape…and nothing else.

No one could ever say Vincent had weak willpower, that was certain.

"Vincent, have you ever considered a threes—"

Of course, the same couldn't be said about his sense of sharing. Before Tifa could even finish her question, the gunman snatched his lover's wrist—oh that seemed so odd for him to say!—and dragged him off. He stoically ignored the catcalls they received from those…idiots and their misconceptions. Honestly, how old were they?

"Oooh, Vince! You're gonna take advantage of me so close to the others? You're bold!"

…It was going to be a _very_ long day.

* * *

"Explain."

Once they finally reached a suitable distance from the others, Vincent unclasped his clock and wrapped it around Cait's waist, ignoring his suggestive comments about Vincent taking off the rest of his clothes and…well, regardless, Vincent wasn't about to do anything of the sort. Nothing was going to happen until he had some answers.

"Ah, you're no fun…" The sharp glare he received stopped his pouting before it could start. "Fine fine… It's no big deal really. While you guys were resting, I met with one of Reeve's associates. Seems he wanted to try a new body for a while…so here I am! Like it?"

Like it? What a question… It was so…lifelike. Just as his last body had looked like a real cat, so did his new body look like a real young man. He reached out with his good hand and gently touched the side of Cait's face. So soft, just like real skin… He'd have to thank Reeve the next time he saw him.

"It's…satisfactory." Cait looked indignant for about three seconds before Vincent closed in and caught his lover's lips in a kiss. Lips that felt human! What an odd feeling after so long!

…The insanity of finding human lips stranger than the feline ones he was used to was not lost upon the gunman. He just tried not to think too much about it as he enjoyed the new sensation. A body near his own size, two hands instead of paws… Hands that were very good with buttons it seemed…

"We shouldn't waste our time alone," Cait whispered, his lips just barely ghosting over his lovers. "You never know how long one of my bodies will last…"

He didn't need to say anymore. Suddenly, Vincent really didn't care what any of the others might say or do. Cait was all that mattered now.

* * *

Reeve watched the scene within the comfort of his locked office with rapt fascination. The new body had been a spur of the moment decision, but it seemed that both Cait and his associates were very fond of it… Oh, and Cait was so flexible…

He decided that he'd have to follow his gut instincts more often.


End file.
